Using a computer to communicate: Effect of executive function impairments in people with severe aphasia

Background : Some individuals with severe non-fluent aphasia do not respond in a functional way to any form of communication therapy. Others show improved ability to communicate with treatment focused on alternative communication modalities such as drawing, gesturing, or using a computer. An important difference between these two patient groups may lie in their nonverbal executive function abilities. Executive functions refer to a range of cognitive abilities including goal formulation, planning, carrying out goal-directed plans, and monitoring the effects of actions. Aims : We aimed to determine whether individuals with severely restricted verbal output due to aphasia could significantly improve their functional communication skills by using an alternative communication computer program called C-Speak Aphasia. We examined several factors to determine how they related to individual patients' ability to communicate expressively using C-Speak Aphasia, including linguistic factors related to semantic process...