Open AccessIdentifying Verbal Short-Term Memory and Working Memory Impairments in Individuals With Latent Aphasia
Author(s) -
JoAnn P. Silkes,
Reva M. Zimmerman,
Wendy Greenspan,
Laura K. Reinert,
Diane L. Kendall,
Nadine Martin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
american journal of speech-language pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.993
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1558-9110
pISSN - 1058-0360
DOI - 10.1044/2020_ajslp-19-00105
Subject(s) - aphasia , working memory , psychology , short term memory , verbal memory , cognitive psychology , population , neurotypical , developmental psychology , cognition , medicine , psychiatry , autism spectrum disorder , environmental health , autism
Purpose This study was undertaken to explore whether measures of verbal short-term memory and working memory are sensitive to impairments in people with latent aphasia, who score within normal limits on typical aphasia test batteries. Method Seven individuals with latent aphasia and 24 neurotypical control participants completed 40 tasks from the Temple Assessment of Language and Short-term Memory in Aphasia (TALSA) that assess various aspects of verbal short-term memory, working memory, and language processing. Subtests were identified that differentiated between the two groups of participants. Results Twenty-one TALSA tasks were identified on which the participants with latent aphasia had significantly different performance than the typical control participants. All of these subtests engaged verbal short-term memory, and some involved working memory as well. Furthermore, the TALSA detected individual differences in linguistic profiles among participants with latent aphasia. Conclusions People with latent aphasia may be identified by tests that tap verbal short-term memory and working memory. In addition, the TALSA was found to be sensitive to the heterogeneity of this population. Further development of these measures will improve identification and treatment of this challenging population.