Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether individuals with moderate Broca's aphasia exhibit different pause duration and frequency patterns compared to individuals without neurological disorders, as well as to explore how speech task type influences pause patterns. A total of 16 participants (eight male and eight female) previously diagnosed with moderate Broca's aphasia and apraxia were included in this study, along with 16 age- and gender-matched control participants. Speech recordings from the 16 participants were sourced from the AphasiaBank database. Speech samples from four different task types (i.e., interview, personal narrative, picture description, and story retell) were analyzed and coded using Praat software to identify the boundaries of between and within-utterance pauses, as well as identify pause type (filled, silent, and combination). Results found a significant difference in the pause durations in people with aphasia (PWA; M = 1.405 sec) compared to neurologically healthy individuals (M = .744 sec), but no significant difference in frequency of pausing per utterance between the two groups. There were no significant differences in pause duration or frequency across speech task type. A significant interaction was found between pause frequency and pause type, with silent pauses being the most frequent. A significant main effect was found for pause type, with combination pauses being the longest in duration. Additionally, a significant interaction between neurological status and pause type was found, with combination pauses being significantly longer in PWA. No other significant main effects or interactions were found. The findings of this study suggest that pause duration, rather than frequency may be a more reliable diagnostic indicator. Additionally, consistency of pause patterns across task types has important clinical implications for assessment and treatment efficiency. Further research is warranted in order to establish more precise definitions of atypical pausing and expand these findings to more diverse aphasia populations.

Degree

College and Department

David O. McKay School of Education; Communication Disorders

Rights

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