Three studies of deficits in pantomimic expression and pantomimic recognition in aphasia

Abstract

Studies were conducted to investigate aphasic deficits in pantomimic behaviors. Three groups of subjects were used: 47 aphasics; 27 right-hemisphere-damaged; and 11 controls. Study I replicates a previous study of pantomimic recognition deficits (Duffy, Duffy, & Pearson, 1975) and essentially duplicates the previous findings of significant deficits of pantomimic recognition in aphasic subjects that are highly correlated with their verbal deficits. Study II examines the relationship between deficits in pantomimic recognition and expression; and the relationships between these two nonverbal behaviors and aphasic verbal deficits. Zero order correlations, partial correlations, and multiple regression analyses are presented. The results show that aphasics exhibit significant deficits in both pantomimic expression and recognition; and, that both of these are highly correlated with aphasic verbal deficits. Study III is an investigation of four causal theories of aphasic deficits in pantomimic expression. Zero order correlations, partial correlations, and multiple regression analyses are presented. It is concluded that aphasic pantomimic expressive deficits are not caused by general intellectual deficit or limb apraxia; but, they are associated with a central symbolic disorder or a verbal mediation deficit. The implications of these studies for an understanding of the nature of aphasia as a syndrome which includes both verbal and nonverbal impairments are discussed.