Verb preference effects in the sentence comprehension of fluent aphasic individuals

Abstract

This investigation examined sentence processing of fluent aphasic subjects with varying severity levels. Subjects performed a cross-modal lexical decision task for transitive and intransitive verbs in preferred and non-preferred frameworks. Verb processing was measured by reaction times during on-line sentence comprehension. Reaction times to the cross-modal lexical decision (CMLD) task indicated that the subjects with aphasia were insensitive to preference information associated with the processing of verbs in sentences. Severity level did not alter the pattern observed regarding verb type and preferences.