Fluency and severity of aphasia and non-verbal competency

Abstract

In a previous study (Smith 1987), it was concluded that aphasic patients retain competency in non-verbal communicative abilities. The study compared aphasic stroke subjects, non-aphasic stroke subjects and non-brain-damaged subjects on the frequency, function, and effectiveness of their non-verbal behaviours during conversation. Aphasic subjects produced significantly higher rates of non-verbal behaviours, especially in the hand and arm modality. The frequency of behaviours with symbolic and regulatory functions was also significantly increased as was the rate of ineffective behavioun. However, despite the higher rate of ineffective behaviours in the aphasic group, less than 4% of all non-verbal behaviours were ineffective. Aphasic subjects still produced higher rates of effective non-verbal behaviour than both the non-aphasic groups.