TY - JOUR
T1 - Relationship Between Cognitive Functions and Multilevel Language Processing
T2 - Data From Chinese Speakers With Aphasia and Implications
AU - Wong, Wing Sze Winsy
AU - Law, Sam Po
N1 - Funding Information:
The study was funded by the Seed Grant for Basic Research of The University of Hong Kong (grand code: 104004421.014304.10000.301.01), awarded to Sam Po Law. We wish to express sincere gratitude to the Aberdeen Kai-fong Association, Haven of Hope Christian Service, Neigh-bourhood Advice-Action Council, Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation, and SAHK for participant recruitment and venue for data collection. We also thank the people with aphasia and speech therapy students as research interns from The University of Hong Kong for data collection.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
PY - 2022/3/8
Y1 - 2022/3/8
N2 - Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relationship between nonverbal cognitive functions and language processing of people with aphasia (PWA) by taking a data-driven approach, as well as multiple cognitive components and multilevel linguistic perspectives. It is hypothesized that language performance is differentially associated with cognitive processing of PWA, with executive functions (EFs) playing a stronger role in language tasks with increasing linguistic complexity. Method: A language battery assessing word comprehension/production, sentence comprehension, and discourse production, together with a series of non-linguistic cognitive tasks targeting simple/complex attention, short-term/working memory, or EFs, was administered to 53 Cantonese-speaking PWA. Cognitive factors extracted from principal component analysis applied to the cognitive battery served as predictors in four multiple regression analyses to predict PWA’s performance at various linguistic levels. Results: Two cognitive factors, representing (a) simple attention and memory and (b) EF, were extracted. The former predicted performance in word processing tasks, whereas EF significantly predicted performance in all language tasks with increasing contribution as a function of linguistic complexity. Conclusion: The results based on Chinese PWA provide comprehensive evidence for the view that language performance is the end product of interaction between linguistic and nonlinguistic functions and have clear implications for clinical management of PWA.
AB - Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relationship between nonverbal cognitive functions and language processing of people with aphasia (PWA) by taking a data-driven approach, as well as multiple cognitive components and multilevel linguistic perspectives. It is hypothesized that language performance is differentially associated with cognitive processing of PWA, with executive functions (EFs) playing a stronger role in language tasks with increasing linguistic complexity. Method: A language battery assessing word comprehension/production, sentence comprehension, and discourse production, together with a series of non-linguistic cognitive tasks targeting simple/complex attention, short-term/working memory, or EFs, was administered to 53 Cantonese-speaking PWA. Cognitive factors extracted from principal component analysis applied to the cognitive battery served as predictors in four multiple regression analyses to predict PWA’s performance at various linguistic levels. Results: Two cognitive factors, representing (a) simple attention and memory and (b) EF, were extracted. The former predicted performance in word processing tasks, whereas EF significantly predicted performance in all language tasks with increasing contribution as a function of linguistic complexity. Conclusion: The results based on Chinese PWA provide comprehensive evidence for the view that language performance is the end product of interaction between linguistic and nonlinguistic functions and have clear implications for clinical management of PWA.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85126072354&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1044/2021_JSLHR-21-00381
DO - 10.1044/2021_JSLHR-21-00381
M3 - Journal article
SN - 1092-4388
VL - 65
SP - 1128
EP - 1144
JO - Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
JF - Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
IS - 3
ER -