Propositional analysis of discourse produced by Chinese speakers with traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Propositional analysis of discourse produced by Chinese speakers with traumatic brain injury Vina Leung1, Connie Wong1, Anthony Pak Hin Kong2* and Kai-Yan Dustin Lau1 1 The Polytechnic University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR China 2 University of Central Florida, United States Background The limitations of standardized language batteries in detecting subtle language deficits among individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been discussed in the literature (e.g., Coelho et al., 1995; Marini et al., 2011; Murdoch & Theodoros, 2001). It has been suggested that non-standardized measures of discourse, such as propositional analysis, tended to be more sensitive to subtle communicative deficits in TBI patients and therefore should be included as a core component of assessment for this population (Coelho, 2007). The Propositional Complexity Index (PCI) has been reported to be a sensitive microlinguistic measure to highlight discourse impairments in TBI, as reflected by lower PCI scores than controls (Coelho et al., 2005; Marini et al., 2011). It is a ratio of proposition (defined as idea units composed of a judgment, or predicate, about one or more “objects”, or arguments; Kamhi & Johnston, 1992) to T-unit (defined as an independent clause plus any subordinate clauses associated with it; Hunt, 1970) within a discourse. The present study aimed to examine the disruption of semantic complexity in Chinese TBI discourse using PCI. The degree to which PCI ratings would indicate the severity of linguistic and cognitive impairments in native speakers of Chinese with TBI was also investigated. Methods Eighteen Mandarin-speaking and 11 Cantonese-speaking subjects who suffered from a single closed-head TBI with a post onset time of at least four months were recruited. Each of them provided language samples collected using the Chinese AphasiaBank protocol (see Kong et al., 2015) modified for TBI, including (a) personal narratives of own TBI story and an important event, (b) descriptive narratives of the “broken window” and “refused umbrella” sequential pictures, and (c) story narratives of “The tortoise and the hare” and “Cry wolf.” The subjects were also administered the Mandarin (MAB; Peking University Health Science Center, 1988) or Cantonese (CAB; Yiu, 1992) version of the Western Aphasia Battery, to reflect the severity of language impairment, as well as the Chinese adaptation of the Cognitive Linguistic Quick Test (CLQT; Helm-Estabrooks, 2001), to estimate their degree of cognitive deficits. PCI scores were calculated based on orthographic transcriptions of each subject’s samples. In particular, the nuclear (i.e., focal point of meanings usually with a main verb) and non-nuclear predicates as well as all related inherent arguments (e.g., adverbial, embedded, associated, or subordinated relationship with the nucleus) of a proposition within each sentence were identified. Results and Discussion Preliminary analysis based on nine Mandarin-speaking and five Cantonese-speaking subjects revealed a mean PCI of 2.46 and 1.85, respectively, which was comparable to earlier reports of English TBI speakers and inferior to ratings of healthy controls (Coelho, 2005). Positive correlations were also found between MAB/CAB scores and propositional efficiency as well as between PCI and CLQT scores. Data collection and analyses involving more TBI and control participants are in progress. Details regarding the modifications adopted in the present investigation to ensure adequate and appropriate highlight quantification of discourse propositions among Chinese speakers will be given. Acknowledgements Special thanks to Dr. Jie Zhu and clinicians in the Speech Therapy Department of the Guangdong Work Injury Rehabilitation Hospital (Guangzhou, China) for their help in subject recruitment and testing. References Coelho, C. A., Liles, B. Z., & Duffy, R. J. (1995). Impairments of discourse abilities and executive functions in traumatically brain injured adults. Brain Injury, 9, 471-477. Coelho, C. A. (2007). Management of discourse deficits following traumatic brain injury: Progress, caveats, and needs. Seminars in Speech and Language, 28(2), 122-135. Coelho, C. A., Grela, B., Corso, M., Gamble, A., & Feinn, R. (2005). Microlinguistic deficits in the narrative discourse of adults with traumatic brain injury. Brain Injury, 19(13), 1139-1145. Helm-Estabrooks, N. (2001). Cognitive Linguistic Quick Test. San Antonio, TX: Pearson. Hunt K. (1970). Syntactic maturity in school children and adults. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 35 (Serial No. 134). Kamhi, A. G., & Johnston, J. R. (1992). Semantic assessment: Determining propositional complexity. In W. Secord & J. Damico (Eds.), Best practices in school speech-language pathology (pp.99-105). San Antonio, TX: Psychology Corporation. Kong, A. P. H., Law, S. P., Kwan, C. C. Y., Lai, C., & Lam, V. (2015) A coding system with independent annotations of gesture forms and functions during verbal communication: Development of a database of speech and GEsture (DoSaGE). Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 39(1), 93-111. Marini, A., Galetto, V., Zampieri, E., Vorano, L., Zettin, M., & Carlomagno, S. (2011). Narrative language in traumatic brain injury. Neuropsychologia, 49(10), 2904-2910. Murdoch, B. E., & Theodoros, D. G. (2001). Traumatic brain injury: Associated speech, language, and swallowing disorders. Cengage Learning. Peking University Health Science Center (PUHSC) (1988). Mandarin aphasia battery. Unpublished work. Yiu, E. M. (1992). Linguistic assessment of Chinese-speaking aphasics: Development of a Cantonese aphasia battery. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 7(4), 379-424. Keywords: discourse analysis, Propositional Complexity Index, Chinese, TBI, proposition Conference: 54th Annual Academy of Aphasia Meeting, Llandudno, United Kingdom, 16 Oct - 18 Oct, 2016. Presentation Type: Poster Sessions Topic: Student Submissions Citation: Leung V, Wong C, Kong A and Lau K (2016). Propositional analysis of discourse produced by Chinese speakers with traumatic brain injury. Front. Psychol. Conference Abstract: 54th Annual Academy of Aphasia Meeting. doi: 10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2016.68.00042 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 25 Apr 2016; Published Online: 15 Aug 2016. * Correspondence: Dr. Anthony Pak Hin Kong, University of Central Florida, Orlando, United States, akong@hku.hk Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Vina Leung Connie Wong Anthony Pak Hin Kong Kai-Yan Dustin Lau Google Vina Leung Connie Wong Anthony Pak Hin Kong Kai-Yan Dustin Lau Google Scholar Vina Leung Connie Wong Anthony Pak Hin Kong Kai-Yan Dustin Lau PubMed Vina Leung Connie Wong Anthony Pak Hin Kong Kai-Yan Dustin Lau Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.