Utility of arm and hand gestures in the treatment of aphasia: Some comments and expansions

Abstract

This commentary on Rose's review takes as departure point her remarks regarding possible functional interactive neurocognitive networks underpinning gesture. Advances in the understanding of motor control pertinent to the topic of gesture in aphasia are discussed, in particular the importance of mirror neurones in gesture perception-production and cross-modal linkages in input and output. It is argued that far from being simply an adjunct to communication, gesture (including articulatory, speech gestures) perception and production operates within a highly interactive system and forms an integral part of comprehending what is happening in the environment, and linking this to conceptual and motor representations and responses. Such networks offer fruitful insights into the role of gesture in facilitating word and speech movement retrieval in aphasia.

Keywords:

• Language
• gesture
• speech
• mirror-neurones