Hypothesis-Driven Treatment of Naming Deficits

Abstract

This article proposes to use information processing models of cognition to guide behaviorally based treatments of language deficits, specifically, single-word object naming. Our approach is illustrated with a clinical case of a transcortical sensory aphasic. Clinical neuropsychological and functional imaging data demonstrate that the components comprising the information processing network that underpins naming can be mapped onto a cerebral neural network in the neurologically intact and that reorganization of function seen in transcortical sensory aphasia can demonstrate plasticity in this neural network. The observed balance of impaired and preserved clinical and physiological components in reorganizing neural networks such as this can be used to design treatment strategies to alleviate naming deficits.

Keywords:

• aphasia
• cognitive remediation
• information processing
• rehabilitation