Discourse in a right-hemisphere brain-damaged subject

Abstract

Abstract This study analysed narrative and procedural discourse samples produced by a right-hemisphere brain-damaged (RHBD) and a non-brain-damaged subject according to a model of discourse coherence. It comprised an investigation in terms of discourse grammar, syntactic complexity, clarity and organizational skills. Results indicated that the RHBD subject's discourse was verbose, noninformative, irrelevant and repetitive and characterized by some reduction in discourse grammar and a higher incidence of unnecessary detail. This finding correlated closely with performance on the Profile of Communicative Appropriateness but was at variance with the oral language portion of the Boston Diagnosis of Aphasia Examination. The method of coherence analysis was considered to be a sensitive and appropriate assessment tool for the discourse of RHBD patients. The data obtained from the RHBD subject were interpreted within two cognitive models: a hypothetical model of semantic memory and a parallel distributed processing approach. Modifications to the analysis profiles and implications for future research are discussed.