Linguistic description in nonfluent dysphasia: utilization of pictograms

Nonfluent dysphasic utterances for pictogram or sequential picture descriptions were compared against those elicited in a standard stative single-picture description task. Elicited utterances were also compared to identify the availability of different variables within phonologic, syntactic, and semantic levels. Descriptive data revealed that Pictograms yielded a relatively greater frequency of occurrence for the variables examined under the parameters of phonology, syntax, and semantics. Of the different variables examined for each parameter, a significantly greater incidence of phonemic paraphasias than neologistic paraphasias were obtained for the parameter of phonology. For the parameter of syntax, significantly more verb phrases were in error than noun phrases; and significantly more syntactic complexity levels 1 and 3 were produced than were levels 2, 4, or 5. Data for the parameter of semantics revealed a significantly greater occurrence of hesitations than circumlocutions, verbal paraphasias, or revisions. Discussion of the obtained findings relate to language assessment and linguistic characterization of nonfluent dysphasia.