Feasibility of Auditory-Perceptual Rating of Four Dimensions of Connected Speech in Aphasia

Purpose: The purpose of this preliminary research study was to evaluate the feasibility of directly rating four dimensions of connected speech in aphasia—Paraphasia, Logopenia, Agrammatism, and Motor Speech—using an auditory-perceptual approach. Method: Seventeen student clinicians rated the four dimensions in eight speech samples of individuals with aphasia drawn from AphasiaBank. There was minimal initial training, and the only feedback provided consisted of expert scores, which participants were asked to compare to their own ratings. Results: Of the 68 total dimensions rated (4 dimensions × 17 students), about half were rated with good or excellent accuracy. However, ratings did not improve over the course of the session, suggesting that the feedback provided was insufficient. Conclusion: Directly rating four key dimensions with an auditory-perceptual approach shows promise as a highly efficient way to analyze connected speech in aphasia, but more comprehensive training and individualized feedback will be necessary to develop this approach for clinical applications. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.30501776