Language Neuroscience Laboratory

Aphasia Recovery Project

0 10 2-5 days 1 month 3 months 1 year
Acute 
Research 
Reference 
z = 0 L R
x = 0
y = 0 L R

Quick Aphasia Battery

QAB overall
Word comprehension
Sentence comprehension
Word finding
Grammatical construction
Speech motor programming
Repetition
Reading

1. Level of consciousness

Is patient sufficiently clinically stable to be approached?
Can patient be roused?
Can you tell me where we are right now?
What month is it?Sep- October
How old are you?
Close your eyes.
Point to the ceiling.
Can patient stay awake, maintain attention, and attempt commands?

2. Connected speech

Reduced length and complexity of utterances
Reduced speech rate
Agrammatism: omission of words and morphemes, especially closed class; “telegraphic speech”
Paragrammatism: substitution of closed class items; inappropriate juxtaposition of words and phrases; garbled syntax
Anomia: word-finding pauses, word-finding failures, abandoned utterances, effective circumlocution
Empty speech: vague words, overabundance of closed class words, ineffective circumlocution, utterances unclear in meaning and/or tangential
Semantic paraphasias: substitution of open class items (including perseverations)
Phonemic paraphasias and neologisms
Self-correction: false starts, retraced sequences, conduite d’approche
Overall communication impairment
Transcription
The boy is pushing the girl.The boy is washing the girl.The girl is pulling the boy.
The girl is chasing the boy.The girl is kicking the boy.The boy is kissing the girl.

3. Word comprehension

lionguitarelephant
drumtigerpiano
violinzebracamel
giraffesaxophonetrumpet
bonepearcat
kitecrownbox
bootcloudcane
goatchairsocks
lionguitarelephant
drumtigerpiano
violinzebracamel
giraffesaxophonetrumpet
bonepearcat
kitecrownbox
bootcloudcane
goatchairsocks

3W. Written word comprehension

lionguitarelephant
drumtigerpiano
violinzebracamel
giraffesaxophonetrumpet
bonepearcat
kitecrownbox
bootcloudcane
goatchairsocks

4. Sentence comprehension

Are you a [man/woman]? (Y)Are you [sitting/lying down/etc.]? (Y)Am I wearing a [color] [shirt/dress]? (Y)
Am I a [man/woman]? (N)Am I [sitting/standing/etc.]? (N)Are you wearing a [color] [shirt/dress]? (N)
Do you cut the grass with an axe? (N)Do you eat ice cream with a spoon? (Y)Do you brush your teeth with a comb? (N)
Are babies watched by babysitters? (Y)Are spiders bitten by people? (N)Are babies named by parents? (Y)
Do you open your door with a key? (Y)Do you wear gloves on your feet? (N)Do you take pictures with a camera? (Y)
If you’re about to leave, have you left yet? (N)If you’re about to go outside, are you still inside? (Y)If you’re about to finish, have you finished yet? (N)
Are witnesses questioned by police? (Y)Are worms eaten by birds? (Y)Are people taxed by governments? (Y)
If I tell you I used to smoke, do you think I smoke now? (N)If I tell you I used to exercise, do you think I exercise now? (N)If you’re about to go inside, are you still outside? (Y)
Are doctors treated by patients? (N)Are babies delivered by doctors? (Y)Are wolves attacked by deer? (N)
If I was at the park when you arrived, did I get there first? (Y)If you’re about to start, have you started yet? (N)If he was at the show when you arrived, did he get there first? (Y)
If you’re about to go upstairs, are you still downstairs (Y)Are parents raised by children? (N)Are thieves robbed by victims? (N)
Are cats chased by mice? (N)If you were at the party when I arrived, did you get there first? (Y)If I tell you I used to drink coffee, do you think I drink coffee now? (N)
Are you a [man/woman]? (Y)Are you [sitting/lying down/etc.]? (Y)Am I wearing a [color] [shirt/dress]? (Y)
Am I a [man/woman]? (N)Am I [sitting/standing/etc.]? (N)Are you wearing a [color] [shirt/dress]? (N)
Do you cut the grass with an axe? (N)Do you eat ice cream with a spoon? (Y)elephant
Are babies watched by babysitters? (Y)Are spiders bitten by people? (N)Are babies named by parents? (Y)
Do you open your door with a key? (Y)Do you wear gloves on your feet? (N)Do you take pictures with a camera? (Y)
If you’re about to leave, have you left yet? (N)If you’re about to go outside, are you still inside? (Y)If you’re about to finish, have you finished yet? (N)
Are witnesses questioned by police? (Y)Are worms eaten by birds? (Y)Are people taxed by governments? (Y)
If I tell you I used to smoke, do you think I smoke now? (N)If I tell you I used to exercise, do you think I exercise now? (N)If you’re about to go inside, are you still outside? (Y)
Are doctors treated by patients? (N)Are babies delivered by doctors? (Y)Are wolves attacked by deer? (N)
If I was at the park when you arrived, did I get there first? (Y)If you’re about to start, have you started yet? (N)If he was at the show when you arrived, did he get there first? (Y)
If you’re about to go upstairs, are you still downstairs (Y)Are parents raised by children? (N)Are thieves robbed by victims? (N)
Are cats chased by mice? (N)If you were at the party when I arrived, did you get there first? (Y)If I tell you I used to drink coffee, do you think I drink coffee now? (N)

5. Picture naming

dogbookbed
pencilcombflower
wheelchairmaskmushroom
octopusvolcanoharmonica
hammockseahorsepelican
escalatorpyramidstethoscope

5W. Writing

bookbeddog
maskmushroomwheelchair
pyramidstethoscopeescalator
The boy is washing the girl.The girl is pulling the boy.The boy is pushing the girl.

6. Repetition

housemanhead
breakfastblanketbrother
catastropheprosperityproximity
undetectableinsignificantinconceivable
The sun rises in the East.The dog barks at the door.The baby drinks from a bottle.
The ambitious journalist discovered where we’d be going.The creative architect understood who we’d be seeing.The confident vocalist realized where we’d be staying.

7. Reading aloud

tinpigpot
doughchoircough
propositiongraduationprohibition
inexperiencedinvoluntaryunforgettable
The baby cries in the night.The sun sets in the West.The dog sleeps on the floor.
The popular novelist realized why I'd been calling.The capable detective discovered why I’d been waiting.The ethical accountant understood why I’d been hiding.

8. Motor speech

tongue from side to side
aaaaaah
pa pa pa pa pa
pataka pataka pataka
catastrophe catastrophe
Count to 10.
Dysarthria: impairment of muscles used for speech production
Apraxia of speech: impairment of speech motor planning

Living with aphasia

How difficult is it for you to talk?
How difficult is it for you to understand what people say to you?
How difficult is it for you to understand what you read?
How difficult is it for you to write a letter, email?
How difficult is it for you to write a text?
How difficult is it for you to talk with a group of people?
How difficult is it for you to be understood by others?
How difficult is it for you to find the words you want to say?
How often do difficulties communicating cause you to feel anxious, unhappy, frustrated or dissatisfied?
How much do difficulties communicating prevent you from doing the things in life that are important to you?
How often do you do things to help your talking get better?
How often do you spend time talking with one or more people?
How actively do you participate in your conversations with people?
Do you feel like your talking is better since the last time we saw you?

Details

QAB form
Acquired by
Scored and transcribed by
Notes