Noun-verb differences? A question of semantics: A response to Shapiro and Caramazza

We presented a new model using the sensory/functional theory of semantic ca tegory deficits to explain noun/verb deficits in aphasia. The predictions a rising from this model were tested on a small number of patients exhibiting grammatical and/or semantic category specific deficits in picture naming. The results lent support for the theory presented. Shapiro and Caramazza (t his issue) raised several objections to this theory (which they call the "e xtended sensory functional theory," or ESFT). In this article we address th eir concerns about the validity of the ESFT and conclude that it is indeed a useful model that provides a parsimonious explanation fur many diverse pa tterns of deficits. (C) 2001 Academic Press.