Identifying behavioral measures of stress in individuals with aphasia.
OBJECTIVE
To develop valid indicators of stress in individuals with aphasia (IWA) by examining the relationship between certain language variables (error frequency [EF] and word productivity [WP]) and cortisol reactivity.


METHODS
Fourteen IWA and 10 controls participated in a speaking task. Salivary cortisol was collected pre- and posttask. WP and EF were calculated from the language sample elicited during the speaking task.


RESULTS
As expected, IWA had less WP and a higher EF than did control participants, and these effects were related to aphasia severity. Cortisol reactivity of IWA was moderately associated with WP, such that those with higher WP showed greater cortisol reactivity. The control group did not demonstrate this relation. Neither group demonstrated a relation between salivary cortisol reactivity and EF.


CONCLUSIONS
WP in individuals with aphasia holds potential as a behavioral index of stress in this population.
Laures-Gore
Jacqueline S
JS
Communication Disorders Program, Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3979, Atlanta, GA 30302-3979, USA. spejsl@langate.gsu.edu
DuBay
Michaela F
MF
Duff
Melissa C
MC
Buchanan
Tony W
TW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001037:Aphasia / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D035841:Behavioral Research / Q000379:methods; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014705:Verbal Behavior
D006854:Hydrocortisone