Semantic paralexias in the Spanish language

Abstract

The applicability of current psycholinguistic models of alexias (acquired dyslexias) to Spanish language is analysed. It is emphasized that Spanish language uses a graphophonemic reading strategy; and under normal circumstances logographic reading is not required. Four cases of alexia associated with semantic paralexias in Spanish speakers recently reported in the literature are examined. All of the patients were individuals with a high level of education, presenting a motor type of aphasia. Semantic paralexias were reported only after several months or years of intensive language therapy. Further, a review of 14 cases of patients with semantic paralexias published in English literature is examined. Most of these English speaking patients were males with a high school level of education, usually presenting with extensive lesions, and more frequently associated with a nonfluent aphasia. However, as a whole, the English sample appeared to be more heterogenous than the Spanish sample in most of the variables examined. It is proposed that, although Spanish reading proceeds using a graphophonemic strategy, additional strategies can also be introduced under special circumstances. Semantic paralexias represent a more commonly encountered and frequent phenomenon in English-speaking aphasics. This phenomena is quite unusual in Spanish speaking aphasics, and is restricted to a very specific aphasic subsample. Lastly, it is proposed that the characteristics of alexic disturbances will positively correlate with the idiosyncracies of the respective writing systems.