Integrating Verbal Short-Term Memory Into the Assessment and Treatment of Aphasia

Abstract

Purpose: Verbal short-term memory (STM) impairment is ubiquitous in people with aphasia, and its severity generally parallels the severity of word processing impairment. In language-based models of STM, verbal STM arises from the activation and maintenance of linguistic representations. Measures of verbal STM can provide insight into the nature of language processing deficits in aphasia and should be a component of comprehensive assessment and treatment plans. Although verbal STM impairment in aphasia is widely studied in the research community, inclusion of verbal STM assessment and treatment in clinical practice remains limited. Method: This tutorial presents a description of language-based models of verbal STM and factors that contribute to performance in verbal STM tasks. We outline a model of verbal STM assessment and intervention that considers two levels of linguistic processing deficits (i.e., semantic vs. phonological), temporal variability in performance and access to representations (activation transmission vs. maintenance), and the effects of memory load. This tutorial presents a practical framework for the integration of measures of verbal STM in both assessment and treatment. Case studies are included to facilitate learning. Conclusions: This tutorial provides clinicians with the theoretical background and practical framework for integration of verbal STM in both treatment and assessment. While the assessment and treatment of verbal STM deficits in aphasia is in the beginning stages of implementation in the clinical setting, it offers a promising avenue for aphasia rehabilitation.