Biomarkers of “Linguistic Anxiety” in aphasia: A proof-of-concept case study

Abstract

This is a proof-of-concept case study designed to evaluate the presence of “Linguistic Anxiety” in a person with mild aphasia. The participant (aged 68) was tested on linguistic and non-linguistic cognitive tasks administered under conditions that differed in levels of anxiety. A validated anxiety-induction technique rarely used in previous aphasia studies was employed: the participant was instructed to prepare for a public speaking presentation. Measures of linguistic and non-linguistic cognitive performance, and anxiety (self-report and psychophysiologic) were obtained. The participant exhibited increased psychophysiologic stress reactivity (heart rate, skin conductance and self-report ratings) in the high-anxiety condition. In the state of increased anxiety, performance on language tasks, in particular discourse production, declined relative to performance in low-anxiety settings. Even in mild aphasia, language-based anxiety can interfere with language performance. This finding provides a basis for carrying out a study with a larger sample that can open a new path to assessment and treatment of persons with aphasia.

• Anxiety
• aphasia
• discourse
• linguistic tasks
• stress

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our research participant for agreeing to take part in this study. We would also like to thank Elizabeth Martin, Patricia Fitzpatrick, Carole Palumbo and Reva Klein, for their help collecting and analysing the screening data used for the study.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Support for this research was provided by the National Institutes of Health, NIDCD grant 5P30DC005207 (PI: Albert), Harold Goodglass Aphasia Research Centre, and NIA grant 2R01AG14345 (PIs: Albert & Obler), Boston University Language in the Aging Brain Lab.