Prediction of Attention on Word Finding Treatment Outcomes After Stroke

open_access
Open Access
Author:
Firely, Lauren Kate
Area of Honors:
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Dr. Chaleece Wyatt Sandberg, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. Carol Anne Miller, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Attention
Aphasia
Word finding
Abstract words
Abstract:
Deficits in word finding are a ubiquitous characteristic of aphasia from left hemisphere stroke or other brain injury. Although it is often overlooked in aphasia treatment, attention is important to study because it is needed for accurate word generation, and is therefore important for both word finding and word finding therapy. The purpose of this paper is to determine if attention can predict outcomes for word finding therapy by comparing patient performance on subtests of the Cognitive Linguistic Quick Test – including the attention subcomponent – and the effect size of abstract word training conducted by Sandberg and Kiran (2014). Correlations and regressions of the CLQT scores and treatment Effect Sizes were conducted in SPSS software to determine if attention predicts word finding treatment outcomes. It was determined that attention is not predictive of treatment outcomes in this sample. However, it was found that memory and executive functioning are correlated with treatment outcomes. Composite severity was the only CLQT variable to be both correlated with and predictive of word finding treatment outcomes. This research on word finding treatment outcomes is important so that future clinicians may be able to predict responses to therapy and provide more effective aphasia treatment.