Abstract
In order to study nonverbal cognitive ability in severe aphasic patients, five nonverbal tasks (three associative and two visuo-spatial intelligence tests) were administered to 22 severe aphasics and two control groups including 10 moderate or mild aphasics and 14 demented patients. The results were as follows:
1) Severe aphasic group scored significantly lower on both the associative and the spatial intelligence tests than moderate or mild aphasic group. But compared with demented group, severe aphasic group was inferior in only the intelligence tests.
2) Significant correlations between the associative and the spatial intelligence tests were found in two aphasic groups, but not in demented group.
3) Among language subtests (modified version of S.L.T.A.), auditory and reading comprehensions had siginificant correlations with the associative tests, and writing and calculation with the spatial intelligence tests in all three groups.
4) Nonverbal defects were preferentially associated with global, severe Wernicke's, TCS and the most severe Broca's aphasics.
5) Among severe aphasics, patients with nonverbal defects were siginificantly inferior in reading comprehension and overall sore of language test to patients without nonverbal defects.
Based on these findings, nonverbal communication ability of severe aphasic patients is discussed.
