title: The processing of negative sentences in fluent aphasics: semantic and pragmatic aspects.
abstract: This paper examines the processing of negative sentences with respect to their truth value in fluent aphasic subjects. Three groups of 25 subjects each (men and women) were studied: the first group consisted of fluent aphasics, the second consisted of right temporal lobe-damaged subjects, and the third of normal subjects. An experiment of sentence verification was carried out. A quantitative study of reaction time (RT) and a qualitative study of the types of answers were carried out. The results show that the fluent aphasics were impaired in their logical-semantic processing of negative sentences and showed a predilection for the affirmative in answering strategies. The right temporal lobe-damaged subjects showed differences only in respect to the normal subjects in the RT, but not in answering strategies. The results suggest that in Wernicke's Aphasics there is a tendency to substitute a type of contextual-pragmatic processing for the logical-semantic processing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Juncos-Rabadàn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001041:Aphasia, Wernicke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D007807:Language Tests; D008128:Logic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012660:Semantics; D013067:Speech Perception; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000293:injuries