Impact of Semantic Feature Analysis and Phonological Component Analysis on Linguistic Abilities in Persons with Aphasia: A Treatment Approach

Abstract

Aphasia, a language impairment resulting from brain damage, often includes difficulties with naming. Traditional speech-language therapy approaches targeting naming impairments have effectively addressed specific semantic and phonemic processing deficits. A combined treatment approach is an emerging method for enhancing naming abilities in persons with aphasia. Additionally, intensive treatment plans that incorporate domain-specific techniques have been shown to improve overall communicative effectiveness. This study aimed to investigate the impact of Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) and Phonological Component Analysis (PCA) on the linguistic abilities of individuals with aphasia. Sixteen participants were recruited, all of whom had a history of cerebrovascular accidents with a post-onset time of more than six months. The majority were diagnosed with Broca’s Aphasia or Anomic Aphasia, with one participant diagnosed with Conduction Aphasia. All participants had at least ten years of formal education in English and Kannada was their native language. The diagnostic evaluation using Western Aphasia Battery - Kannada (WAB-K) and a rating of five or higher on the Auditory Verbal Comprehension section confirmed good comprehension abilities. The participants were subjected to SFA and PCA naming treatment approaches. The investigator developed 120 treatment stimuli consisting of a single-word list of noun and verb categories in the Kannada language (60 for SFA and 60 for PCA). These naming stimuli were colored line drawing pictures and were subjected to content validation by considering three experienced speech-language pathologists. Language abilities were assessed using the WAB-K, naming abilities using the Action Naming Test (ANT) (verbs) and Boston Naming Test (BNT) (nouns), discourse using the Discourse Analysis Scale (DAS), and cognitive-linguistic abilities using the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-III (ACE-III) and semantic N-back task. These assessment data were statistically analyzed using Repeated Measures ANOVA for WAB-AQ and Sem-back scores and Friedman Analysis for WAB-K naming, ANT, BNT, DAS, and ACE-III scores at four phases of treatment. (pre-treatment, mid-treatment, post-treatment and follow-up phase) Participants improved in language, naming, discourse, and cognitive domains post-treatment and follow-up measurements. The maintenance effect was observed in follow-up measurements, where post-treatment scores remained stable, indicating good retention of the treatment benefits. PCA technique is more loaded with cognition, and training PCA leads to faster naming response compared to SFA. Also, phonemic cueing was found more effective in naming than semantic cueing for both nouns and verb categories. The SFA technique helped to enhance the language, especially connected speech or discourse level. The study highlights the potential for sustained improvements in language, naming, and discourse abilities following SFA and PCA treatments. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of considering cognitive linguistic abilities in aphasia rehabilitation and suggest SFA and PCA treatments can effectively target both language and cognitive-linguistic deficits, ultimately improving overall communication skills in persons with aphasia. The study can be modified in the future with extensive working memory training in association with naming treatment for effective cognitive linguistic abilities in PWA.