Analysing coherence of oral discourse among Cantonese speakers in Mainland China with traumatic brain injury and cerebrovascular accident

Anthony Pak Hin Kong, Dustin Kai Yan Lau, Chloe Yuen Yi Cheng

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose: Coherence can reflect subtle language deficits in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cerebrovascular accident (CVA). This study aimed at investigating whether global and local coherence in Cantonese-speaking adults with CVA and TBI differ from non-brain-injured (NBI) speakers. Factors contributing to the coherence ratings and impacts of elicitation tasks on coherence were examined. Method: Two clinical groups with fluent aphasia (7 CVA and 11 TBI) and 18 controls matched in age and education, who were Cantonese speakers living in China participated. Language samples of single and sequential picture description and storytelling were elicited, and subsequently analysed on global and local coherence, content sequence, and informativeness. Result: TBI speakers had impaired global and local coherence, while CVA speakers had poor global coherence. Sequence of main events produced by the three groups correlated significantly with global coherence. Attention and visuospatial skills were also significantly related to global coherence in both clinical groups. Finally, impaired language integrity was associated with problems of local coherence. Conclusion: The results were consistent with previous studies. Linguistic deficits of coherence in discourse in the two clinical groups and possible impacts of elicitation tasks on the cognitive demands and coherence ratings were discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)37-47
Number of pages11
JournalInternational Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
Volume22
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Jan 2020

Keywords

  • aphasia
  • discourse coherence
  • traumatic brain injury (TBI)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Research and Theory
  • Otorhinolaryngology
  • Language and Linguistics
  • LPN and LVN
  • Speech and Hearing

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