Integrity of input verbal short-term memory ability predicts naming accuracy in aphasia.
Matthew J Sayers, Danielle Laval, Jamie Reilly and 1 others
PMID 37346092WHAT IT FOUND
Input-only memory tests predicted naming accuracy in people with aphasia, even those with severe speech output deficits.
Better semantic and phonological span scores correlated with fewer naming errors, suggesting these tasks can reveal hidden language strengths.
Key findings
01All probe spans (input-only memory tasks) correlated positively with naming accuracy in both immediate and delayed conditions.
02Semantic probe spans and the initial consonant-vowel span showed moderate positive correlations with naming accuracy.
03Higher input-only verbal STM scores were associated with fewer naming errors, particularly semantic and unrelated errors.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used retrospective data from a small sample of 20 participants. There was no control group for comparison. Participants had varying degrees of aphasia severity and deficit profiles, which may limit the generalisability of the specific correlations. The design was quasi-experimental and post hoc.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that input-only memory tasks are a standalone diagnostic for all aphasia types. The study shows a correlation in a small group, but it does not prove that improving these memory spans will directly improve naming accuracy in treatment.