Neurolinguistic analysis [Elektronische Ressource] : aspects of language and speech deviations in Palestinian Arabic aphasics / von Adem Hisham

Neurolinguistic Analysis: Aspects of Language and Speech Deviations in
Palestinian Arabic Aphasics





Inauguraldissertation

Zur Erlangung des Akademischen Grades


eines Dr. phil.,



Vorgelegt dem Fachbereich 05- Philosophie und Philologie
der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität
Mainz



von

Hisham Adem
aus Hebron/Palästina
Mainz 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS


0.1. Abbreviations……………..…………………………………………….... VI
0.2. List of tables……………………………………………………….…….. VII
0.3. List of figures……………….………………………………….….…....... XI
0.4. Abstract………………………………………………………………..…XIX

1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………… 1
1.1. Statement of the problem……………………………………………….... 1
1.2. Sociolinguistic profile of Palestinian Arabic……………………….......... 2
1.3. Method………………………………………………………………….... 2
1.3.1. Participants and corpus…………………………………………………...2
1.3.1.1. “Normal speakers”……………………………………….………………. 2
1.3.1.2. Aphasic subjects…………………………………………………………. 2
1.3.2. Methodology……………………………………………………………... 3
1.3.2.1. Software application “Phono Lab”……………………………………..... 3
1.3.2.2. Measurement and procedure……………………………………………... 4
1.4. Organization of the thesis………………………………………………... 6

2. TYPOLOGY IN APHASIA……………………………….... 9
2.1. Definition of aphasia…………………………………………………...... 9
2.2. The classical types of aphasia and their main neuroanatomical and
neurolinguistic aspects.........................................................................…... 16
2.2.1. Broca’s aphasia………………………………………………………....... 16
2.2.2. Wernicke’s aphasia……………………………………………………..... 19
2.2.3. Anomic aphasia………………………...………………………………... 22
2.2.4. Conduction aphasia……………………………………………………..... 23
2.2.5. Global aphasia………………………………………………………….... 26
2.2.6. Transcortical aphasia (TA)……………………………………………..... 27
2.2.6.1. Transcortical sensory aphasia (TSA)…………………………………….. 27
2.2.6.2. Transcortical motor aphasia (TMA)…………………………………..…. 27

3. VOWEL PRODUCTION BY THE APHASIC SUBJECTS
AND NORMAL SPEAKERS………………………………. 29
3.1. Vowels produced by the normal speakers…………………….……..…... 29
3.1.1. The phonetic description of the Palestinian Arabic vowels………..……. 30
3.1.2. The acoustic features of the Palestinian Arabic vowels as produced by
the normal speakers…………………………..………………………….. 32
3.1.3. Comparison of the acoustic vowel data of various studies and our data
based on F1 and F2……………………………………………………..... 42
3.2. The formant frequencies of Palestinian Arabic vowels as produced by
the aphasic subjects compared to the normal speakers………………...... 45
3.2.1. Results………………………………………………………………..…... 45
3.2.2. Discussion and conclusion ……………………………..……................... 53
3.3. Vowel duration………………………………………………………..…. 56
3.3.1. Introduction……………………………………………………………..... 56
3.3.2. Neurolinguistic studies on vowel duration in aphasia………………….... 59
3.3.3. Results…………………………………………………………………..... 60
3.3.4. Comparison of durational patterns based on individual differences…….. 68
3.3.5. Conclusion………………………………………………………….……. 87
3.4. Vowel reduction by the normal speakers and the aphasic subjects…...…. 89
3.4.1. Introduction and definition……………………………………………..... 89
3.4.2. Vowel reduction in Arabic……………………………………………….. 90
3.4.3. Neurolinguistic studies on vowel reduction in aphasia………………….. 91
3.4.4. Results…………………………………………………………………..... 91
3.5. Syllable duration……………………………………………………......... 97
3.6. Word duration…………………………………………………………….100
3.7. Discussion and conclusion…………………………………….…………. 101
3.8. The acoustic vowel space of the aphasic subjects and the normal
speakers…………………………………………………………………... 103

4. CONSONANT PRODUCTION BY THE APHASIC
SUBJECTS AND NORMAL SPEAKERS………………… 108
4.1. Voice Onset Time (VOT) in the stop sounds…………………………..... 108
4.1.1. Introduction and definition…………………………………………….… 108
4.1.1.1. VOT in Arabic………………………………………………………….... 112
4.1.1.2. Neurolinguistic VOT studies on aphasia…………………………….…... 113
4.1.2. Results……………………………………………………….………….... 115
4.1.2.1. The patterns of the normal speakers ……………………………… 115
4.1.2.2. The patterns of the aphasic subjects ………………….…………………. 117
4.1.3. Comparison between the normal speakers and the aphasic subjects based
on the place of articulation…………………….…………….…………... 120
4.1.4. The nature of errors as exhibited by the aphasic subjects………….……. 122
4.1.4.1. Stimuli and procedure……………………………………………….…… 122
4.1.4.2. Results and discussion ………………………………………………..…. 122
4.1.5. Stages of language processing: Levelt’s model of speech production…... 124
4.1.6. Aphasic symptoms within stages of speech production…………………. 128
4.2. Fricative sounds………………………………………………………….. 131
4.2.1. The acoustic features of the fricative [s] as produced by the normal
speakers and the aphasic subjects………………………………………... 132
4.2.1.1. The acoustic features of the fricative [s] as produced by the normal
speakers…………………………………………………………………... 132
4.2.1.2. The acoustic features of the fricative [s] as produced by the aphasic
subjects…………………………………………………………………... 134
4.2.1.3. Results………………………………………………………………….… 134
V4.2.2. The acoustic features of the fricative [ ] as produced by the normal
137speakers…………………………………………………………………...
4.2.3. A neurolingustic discussion of the errors in the production of [s] and
140[ ]………………………………………………………………………....
4.2.4. The acoustic features of the fricative [ ] as produced by the normal
154speakers and the aphasic subjects………………………………………...
4.2.5. The fricative [z]………………………………………………………….. 160
4.2.5.1. The acoustic features of [z] as produced by the normal speakers and the
aphasic subjects………………………………………….……………..... 160
4.2.5.2. The speech errors in the consonant [z]…………………………………... 164
4.2.6. 165The emphatic fricative [s ]……………………………………….……….
4.2.6.1. The acoustic features of the emphatic fricative [s ] as exhibited by the
165normal speakers and the aphasic subjects………………………………...
4.2.6.2. 172The articulation errors in the emphatic fricative [s ]…………………......
4.2.7. Neurolinguistic and phonetic discussions……………………………….. 176
4.2.8. Conclusion……………………………………………………………..… 181
4.3. Affricate sounds………………………………………………………..… 183

5. EMPHATIC STOP SOUNDS IN ARABIC: THE STOP
188[t ] AS AN EXAMPLE……………………………………...
5.1. Introduction and definition……………………………………………..... 188
5.2. The acoustic characteristics of the stop [t ] as produced by the normal
190speakers and the aphasic subjects………………………………………...
5.3. Discussion and conclusion………………………………….………….... 201

6. COARTICULATION…………………………...................... 210
6.1. Introduction and definition………………………………………………. 210
6.2. Neurolinguistic studies on coarticulation in aphasia…………………….. 214
6.3. Results of the normal speakers and the aphasic subjects.………………... 215
6.4. Neurolinguistic discussion of the results…………………………….…... 219

7. CORRELATIONS BETWEEN “F0” AND EMOTIONAL
CUES OF BROCA’S APHASIC SPEECH……………..…. 234
7.1. Introduction……………………………………………………………… 234
7.2. “F0” parameters relevant for the speech of Broca’s aphasics………….... 236
7.3. Acoustical correlates of emotional cues as strategic signals by Broca’s
aphasics…………………………………………………………………... 243
7.4. A neurolinguistic discussion of the results………………………………. 254

VI
?:5?5???8. SUMMARY OF THE MAIN CONCLUSIONS AND
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH………..… 259

8.1. Summary of the main findings and conclusions…………………………. 259
8.2. Suggestions and recommendations for further research ……………….... 269
9. BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………… 272

10. APPENDICES……………………………………………….. 325
10.1. Test words for vowel duration and formant values…………………….... 325
10.2. Test words for VOT analysis…………………………………………….. 327
10.3. Test words for fricative sounds…………………………………………... 328
10.4. Test words for the emphatic sounds………..……………………………. 330


VII0.1. ABBREVIATIONS


VOT Voice Onset Time
p. page
pp. pages
B. Broca’s aphasic
Fig. figure
Tab. table
msce millisecond
Hz hertz
F1 first formant
F2 second formant
F3 third formant
F4 fourth formant
F0 fundamental frequency
N. normal speaker
LPC Linear Predictive Coding
TMA transcortical motor aphasia
TSA tranl sensory aphasia
VL.F voiceless fricative
V.F voiced fricative
VL.S voiceless stop
V.S voiced stop
PET Positron Emission Tomography
RH right hemisphere
LH left hemisphere
LHD left-hemisphere-damaged
RHD right-hemisphere-damaged
fMRI functional Magnetic Resonance Image
MRI Magnetic Resonance Image
FFT Fast Fourier Transfer
MCA Middle Cerebral Artery
CVA cerebro-vascular-accident
cf. compare
e.g. for example

VI0.2. LIST OF TABLES


Tab. 1: Mean average values of F1 and F2 (Hz) for the short vowel [a] and its long
cognate [a:] as produced by the normal speakers ………………..…………..... 33
Tab. 2: Mean average values of F1 and F2 (Hz) for the short vowel [ ] and its plain
33cognate [a] as produced by the normal speakers………..……………………...
Tab. 3: Mean average values of F1 and F2 (Hz)