The 2019 Clinical Aphasiology Conference (CAC) brought together clinicians and researchers to learn about the latest research on neurologic language disorders. Conference attendees were then invited to submit their presentations as papers in a special issue of the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology (AJSLP).

The 13 articles in this special issue focus on topics in aphasia, apraxia of speech, and communication deficits in Alzheimer’s disease. Special Issue Editor Melissa Collins Duff writes in her introduction that the articles discussing conversation and discourse production are of particular interest this year. We’ve highlighted four of those articles below.

After Duff’s introduction, Tetnowski and colleagues present a case study showing that conversation-based treatment resulted in more efficient conversations for people with aphasia. Conversation was also a topic for Leaman and Edmonds, who looked to develop a feasible and reliable measure of coherence in unstructured conversation for people with aphasia.

Later in the special issue, Silkes et al. investigated the impact of anomia treatments, which typically focus on single word recovery and on discourse production in a story retell task. In the final article of the special issue, Stark and colleagues discuss a working group that aims to standardize methodology, analysis, and reporting of spoken discourse in aphasia.

Duff writes that this special issue “serves as a time capsule, if you will, capturing the state of the field in terms of our current questions, theories, and approaches” (Duff, p. 325). We hope you enjoy this “time capsule” and special issue!

We’d like to thank Dr. Duff for putting together this year’s CAC issue for AJSLP. You can explore the entire issue here or check out the individual articles below.

References

Collins Duff, M. (2021). Introduction to the special issue for the 49th Clinical Aphasiology Conference. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(1S), 325. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_AJSLP-21-00007

Explore the Special Issue

Devanga, S. R., Sherrill, M., & Hengst, J. A. (2021). The efficacy of collaborative referencing intervention in chronic aphasia: A mixed-methods study. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(1S), 407–424. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00108

Dreyer, F. R., Doppelbauer, L., Büscher, V., Arndt, V., Stahl, B., Lucchese, G., Hauk, O., Mohr, B., & Pulvermüller, F. (2021). Increased recruitment of domain-general neural networks in language processing following intensive language-action therapy: fMRI evidence from people with chronic aphasia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(1S), 455–465. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00150

Duff, M. C. (2021). Introduction to the special issue for the 49th Clinical Aphasiology Conference. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(1S), 325. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_AJSLP-21-00007

Evans, W. S., Cavanaugh, R., Gravier, M. L., Autenreith, A. M., Doyle, P. J., Hula, W. D., & Dickey, M. W. (2021). Effects of semantic feature type, diversity, and quantity on semantic feature analysis treatment outcomes in aphasia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(1S), 344–358. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00112

Leaman, M. C., & Edmonds, L. A. (2021). Measuring global coherence in people with aphasia during unstructured conversation. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(1S), 359–375. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00104

Paek, E. J., & Murray, L. L. (2021). Quantitative and qualitative analysis of verb fluency performance in individuals with probable Alzheimer’s disease and healthy older adults. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(1S), 481–490. https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_AJSLP-19-00052

Paek, E. J., & Yoon, S. O. (2021). Partner-specific communication deficits in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(1S), 376–390. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00094

Silkes, J. P., Fergadiotis, G., Graue, K., & Kendall, D. L. (2021). Effects of phonomotor therapy and semantic feature analysis on discourse production. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(1S), 441–454. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00111

Silkes, J. P., Zimmerman, R. M., Greenspan, W., Reinert, L., Kendall, D., & Martin, N. (2021). Identifying verbal short-term memory and working memory impairments in individuals with latent aphasia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(1S), 391–406. https://doi.org/10.1044/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00105

Stark, B. C., Dutta, M., Murray, L. L., Bryant, L., Fromm, D., MacWhinney, B., Ramage, A. E., Roberts, A., den Ouden, D. B., Brock, K., McKinney-Bock, K., Paek, E. J., Harmon, T. G., Yoon, S. O., Themistocleous, C., Yoo, H., Aveni, K., Gutierrez, S., & Sharma, S. (2021). Standardizing assessment of spoken discourse in aphasia: A working group with deliverables. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(1S), 491–502. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00093

Thompson Tetnowski, J., Tetnowski, J. A., & Damico, J. S. (2021). Patterns of conversation trouble source and repair as indices of improved conversation in aphasia: A multiple-case study using conversation analysis. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(1S), 326­–343. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00100

Themistocleous, C., Webster, K., Afthinos, A., & Tsapkini, K. (2021). Part of speech production in patients with primary progressive aphasia: An analysis based on natural language processing. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(1S), 466–480. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00114

Wambaugh, J. L., Kallhoff, L., & Nessler, C. (2021). Sound production treatment for acquired apraxia of speech: An examination of dosage in relation to probe performance. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(1S), 425–440. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00110