title: Use of spatial communication in aphasia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spatial communication consists of both verbal spatial language and gesture. There has been minimal research investigating the use of spatial communication, and even less focussing on people with aphasia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this exploratory study were to describe the frequency and variability of spatial language and gesture use by three participants with aphasia in comparison to nine control participants. This included: 1) frequency of gestures; 2) types of gesture; 3) number of spatial descriptions described by gestures but no language; and 4) frequency and variety of locative prepositional, verb, and noun phrases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Each participant was videoed undertaking 11 spatial communication tasks: four description tasks, and seven tasks involving directing the researcher in the placement of objects or pictures. Gestures and language produced were transcribed and analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants with aphasia used significantly more gesture. Participants with aphasia also used more gesture without spoken phrases when spatial vocabulary was unavailable. Finally, there were differences between the participants with regards to the types of gesture that they used when they were unable to access language.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that the analysis of gesture produced by people with aphasia may provide insight into their underlying language impairment. As this was an exploratory study, with just three participants with aphasia, further research is needed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Language and Communication Science, School of Health Sciences, City University, Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cocks
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dipper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001037:Aphasia / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003142:Communication; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005868:Gestures; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009633:Nonverbal Communication; D013060:Speech; D020521:Stroke / Q000523:psychology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation
keywords: Aphasia; Gesture; Spatial