by David Caplan (Author)
This theoretical guide for speech-language pathologists, neuropsychologists, neurologists, and cognitive psychologists describes the linguistic and psycholinguistic basis of aphasias that are a result of acquired neurological disease. Caplan first outlines contemporary concepts and models in language processing and then shows in detail how these are related to language disorders. Chapters are organized around basic linguistic processes such as spoken word recognition, semantics, spoken word production, reading and writing of single words, and more complex processes such as sentence production and discourse structures. Caplan's summary of the major concepts and results in both linguistics and psycholinguistics provides a solid basis for understanding current studies of language disorders as well as those likely to be discussed in the future. Considerable emphasis is placed on studies of language processing that measure what representations a subject is computing while he or she is in the middle of accomplishing a language-related task. These on-line studies provide the most reliable guide to the nature of many psycholinguistic processes. Throughout the book, Caplan's goal is to present material at an introductory level so that readers can become informed about the work of linguistically and psycholinguistically oriented researchers who study normal and disordered language and put this work to use in clinical practice.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 532
Edition: Revised ed.
Publisher: MIT Press
Published: 01 Apr 1996
ISBN 10: 0262531380
ISBN 13: 9780262531382
Book Overview: The approaches Caplan endorses represent mainstream thought in present cognitive theory. The topics of analysis are carefully considered and presented in a balanced way, and many of the discussions contain analyses and proposals not as well developed elsewhere. I do not know of any other work that approaches the scope and detail of this book for introductory treatment of contemporary language processing theory in the study of language disorders. -- Merril Garrett, Professor and Chairman, Cognitive Science Deprtment, University of Arizona Caplan's book represents a unique blend of review of the major linguistics and psycholinguistic theories of the language faculty and thorough discussion of language disorders following brain damage. It is by far the clearest, and most theoretically sophisticated introduction aphasia. -- Alfonso Caramazza, Professor, Department of Cognitive Science Cognitive Neuropsychology Laboratory, The Johns Hopkins University