The differential facilitatory effects of gesture and visualisation processes on object naming in aphasia

This study investigated the differential facilitation effects of gesture an d visualisation processes on object naming in individuals with aphasia. Six participants with word production deficits resulting from varying levels o f impairment in the word production system, underwent a series of naming tr ials. Baseline measures of naming were compared to those obtained following instructions to point, visualise, and produce gesture. The results support ed the superiority of iconic gesture as a facilitator of object naming in a phasia. In particular, individuals with phonological access, storage, or en coding difficulties demonstrated significantly enhanced naming abilities wi th the use of iconic gesture as compared to individuals with a semantic imp airment or an apraxia of speech. Pointing, cued articulation, and visualisa tion processes did not significantly enhance naming skills in these individ uals. These results are discussed within the model of lexical gesture and w ord production proposed by Krauss and Hadar (1999).