Word selection deficits and multiword speech

Through computational modelling of language behaviour in both healthy and brain-damaged individuals, Anders, Riès, van Maanen and Alario ( in press ) propose that to facilitate word selection when alternatives compete for production, the left lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) changes the threshold for word selection. Because selecting a word during multiword speech involves resolving competition from target-related competitors as well as words produced in the past and future, a word-selection deficit caused by damage to the left PFC may result in difficulties in producing multiword speech. I review evidence in support of this hypothesis and discuss alternative explanations. Future work should extend Anders and colleagues' conclusions to understand whether a deficit in word selection when producing single words accounts for failures to communicate via multiword speech.