Spared syntax and impaired spell-out : the case of prepositions in Broca's and anomic aphasia
The present study deals with the impairment of prepositions, a somewhat neglected topic in aphasia research. It is the first to investigate the availability of all types of prepositions (i.e., spatial, temporal, other meaningful, subcategorized, syntactic prepositions, and particles) in a variety of comprehension and production tasks in one anomic aphasic and four Brocaâs aphasic patients and healthy speakers. While the availability of spatial, temporal, or subcategorized prepositions has been investigated, other preposition types have never been studied before. The data revealed that prepositions were impaired in the patients, and that the degree of impairment differed for different types of prepositions. Three of the main findings are: first, meaningless prepositions were not the most vulnerable subcategory of prepositions in the patients. In fact, four of the five aphasic patients performed best on (meaningless) syntactic prepositions. Second, patients made few omissions and many substitution errors which were mostly within-category (a preposition was substituted by another preposition). Third, there was no difference in the performance of Brocaâs and anomic aphasic patients. These results differ from
MĂ€tzig, S.
Spared syntax and impaired spell-out : the case of prepositions in Broca's and anomic aphasia. The present study deals with the impairment of prepositions, a somewhat neglected topic in aphasia research. It is the first to investigate the availability of all types of prepositions (i.e., spatial, temporal, other meaningful, subcategorized, syntactic prepositions, and particles) in a variety of comprehension and production tasks in one anomic aphasic and four Brocaâs aphasic patients and healthy speakers. While the availability of spatial, temporal, or subcategorized prepositions has been investigated, other preposition types have never been studied before. The data revealed that prepositions were impaired in the patients, and that the degree of impairment differed for different types of prepositions. Three of the main findings are: first, meaningless prepositions were not the most vulnerable subcategory of prepositions in the patients. In fact, four of the five aphasic patients performed best on (meaningless) syntactic prepositions. Second, patients made few omissions and many substitution errors which were mostly within-category (a preposition was substituted by another preposition). Third, there was no difference in the performance of Brocaâs and anomic aphasic patients. These results differ from
syntax impair spell_out case preposition aphasia present_study deal impairment preposition somewhat neglected topic aphasia research first investigate availability type preposition spatial_temporal meaningful syntactic preposition particle variety comprehension_production task aphasic aphasic patient healthy speaker availability spatial_temporal preposition investigate preposition type never study before data_reveal preposition impaired patient degree impairment differ different_type preposition three_main finding first meaningless preposition vulnerable preposition patient fact four_five aphasic patient perform best meaningless syntactic preposition second patient make omission many substitution error mostly within category preposition substitute another preposition third difference performance aphasic patient differ