ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: SentenceShaper((R)) (SSR) is a computer program that is for speech what a word-processing program is for written text; it allows the user to record words and phrases, play them back, and manipulate them on-screen to build sentences and narratives. A recent study demonstrated that when listeners rated the informativeness of functional narratives produced by chronic aphasic speakers with and without the program they gave higher informativeness ratings to the language produced with the aid of the program (Bartlett, Fink, Schwartz, & Linebarger, 2007). Bartlett et al. (2007) also compared unaided (spontaneous) narratives produced before and after the aided version of the narrative was obtained. In a subset of comparisons, the sample created after was judged to be more informative; they called this "topic-specific carryover". AIMS: (1) To determine whether differences in informativeness that Bartlett et al.'s listeners perceived are also revealed by Correct Information Unit (CIU) analysis (Nicholas & Brookshire, 1993)-a well studied, objective method for measuring informativeness-and (2) to demonstrate the usefulness of CIU analysis for samples of this type. METHODS #ENTITYSTARTX00026; PROCEDURES: A modified version of the CIU analysis was applied to the speech samples obtained by Bartlett et al. (2007). They had asked five individuals with chronic aphasia to create functional narratives on two topics, under three conditions: Unaided ("U"), Aided ("SSR"), & Post-SSR Unaided ("Post-U"). Here, these samples were analysed for differences in % CIUs across conditions. Linear associations between listener judgements and CIU measures were evaluated with bivariate correlations and multiple regression analysis. OUTCOMES #ENTITYSTARTX00026; RESULTS: (1) The aided effect was confirmed: samples produced with SentenceShaper had higher % CIUs, in most cases exceeding 90%. (2) There was little CONCLUSIONS: That the percentage of CIUs was higher in SSR-aided samples than in unaided samples confirms the central finding in Bartlett et al. (2007), based on subjective judgements, and thus extends the evidence that aided effects from SentenceShaper are demonstrable across a range of measures, stimuli and participants (cf. Linebarger, Schwartz, Romania, Kohn, & Stephens, 2000). The data also attest to the effectiveness of the CIU analysis for quantifying differences in the informativeness of aphasic speech with and without SentenceShaper; and they support prior studies that have shown that CIU measures correlate with the informativeness ratings of unfamiliar listeners.
ABSTRACT
This article examines the challenges of developing electronic communication aids for individuals with mild-to-moderate aphasia and introduces a new portable aid designed for this population. People with some residual speech are often reluctant to use communication aids that replace their natural speech with synthesized speech or the recorded utterances of another individual. SentenceShaper (computer software; Psycholinguistic Technologies, Inc; Jenkintown, Pennsylvania; www.sentenceshaper.com), a computerized "processing prosthesis," allows the user to record spoken sentence fragments and hold them in memory long enough to combine them into larger structures. Previous studies have shown that spoken narratives created with SentenceShaper--composed of concatenated, recorded segments in the user's own voice--may show marked superiority to the individual's spontaneous speech and that sustained use may engender treatment effects. However, these findings do not guarantee the program's efficacy to support functional communication or its acceptance by people with aphasia. Here, we examine strengths and weaknesses of SentenceShaper as the basis for a communication aid for individuals with mild-to-moderate aphasia and review factors guiding the design of SentenceShaper To Go, a portable extension to the program. Data from a "proof-of-concept" pilot study with the portable system suggest the viability of providing computer-based support for users' residual speech in composing and delivering spoken messages.