A note on temporal relations between language and gestures

doi:10.1016/0093-934X(79)90061-0

Brain and Language

Volume 8, Issue 3, November 1979, Pages 350-354

https://doi.org/10.1016/0093-934X(79)90061-0 Get rights and content

Abstract

The initiation of the spontaneous gestures of Wernicke's aphasics was analyzed in relation to shifts in semantic content between the syntactic boundaries of main clauses and embedded clauses. Gestures proved more likely to arise at the initial boundaries of embedded clauses when these were semantically discontinuous with the main clause than when these were semantically related to the main clause. Spontaneous gestures may signal underlying shifts in semantic intention, thereby reflecting the difficulties encountered by Wernicke's aphasics in maintaining a coherent stream of thought across syntactic boundaries.

References (4)

M. Cicone et al.
The relation between gesture and language in aphasic communication
Brain and Language
(1979)
F.D. Benson et al.
Psychiatric conditions associated with focal lesions of the central nervous system

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (11)

Deictic word and gesture production: Their interaction
2009, Behavioural Brain Research
We examined whether and how deictic gestures and words influence each other when the content of the gesture was congruent or incongruent with that of the simultaneously produced word. Two experiments were carried out. In Experiment 1, the participants read aloud the deictic word ‘QUA’ (‘here’) or ‘LA” (‘there’), printed on a token placed near to or far from their body. Simultaneously, they pointed towards one's own body, when the token was placed near, or at a remote position, when the token was placed far. In this way, participants read ‘QUA’ (‘here’) and pointed towards themselves (congruent condition) or a remote position (incongruent condition); or they read ‘LA” (‘there’) and pointed towards a remote position (congruent condition) or themselves (incongruent condition). In a control condition, in which a string of ‘X’ letters was printed on the token, the participants were silent and only pointed towards themselves (token placed near) or a remote position (token placed far). In Experiment 2, the participants read aloud the deictic word placed in the near or far position without gesturing. The results showed that the congruence/incongruence between the content of the deictic word and that of the gesture affected gesture kinematics and voice spectra. Indeed, the movement was faster in the congruent than in the control and incongruent conditions; and it was slower in the incongruent than in the control condition. As concerns voice spectra, formant 2 (F2) decreased in the incongruent conditions. The results suggest the existence of a bidirectional interaction between speech and gesture production systems.
The use of gestures as a compensatory strategy in adults with acquired aphasia compared to children with specific language impairment (SLI)
1998, Journal of Neurolinguistics
Gestures used in a confrontation naming task by four severely aphasic patients, two nonfluent, two fluent and four controls, were categorized according to Ekman and Friesen (1969). The findings were compared to an earlier study of gestures used by SLI children. There were similarities between the two language-impaired groups in how to compensate for the missing access to the word by using gestures as pragmatic cues.
Nonverbal aspects of language
1993, Neurologic Clinics
This article describes the recently discovered language functions of the right hemisphere that involve the (nonverbal) modulation of affective prosody and gestures. The organization of these functions, at a syndomic level, appears to be analogous to the organization of verbal language in the left hemisphere. The relationship of the affective aspects of language and communication with general emotions and the neurology of poststroke depression are discussed also.
Body communication as compensation for speech in a Wernicke's aphasic-A longitudinal study
1991, Journal of Communication Disorders
This case study describes a Wernicke's aphasic who had spontaneously developed a communication pattern involving a large portion of body communication to convey factual information. The study is longitudinal and compares the development of body communication and speech (here: the use of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and pronouns) during the 18-month period of rehabilitation. There is a clear development, showing an increased use of nouns, verbs, and ajectives and a decreased use of body communication to convey factual information. This is taken to show that compensatory body communication for factual information can be used by Wernicke's aphasics, something that is easily obscured by the finding often reported that most aphasics tend to show body communication patterns that are in accordance with their speech patterns. The role of pronouns and gestures for turnkeeping at an intermediate stage, when the patient is shifting from gestures to words for factual content, is also discussed.
Sign language, pantomime, and gestural processing in aphasic persons: A review
1985, Journal of Communication Disorders
Many aphasic individuals who fail to reacquire spoken language skills may retain the ability to acquire aspects of a manual communication system. This conclusion is reached after reviewing the results of studies of pantomime recognition and production, spontaneous gestural production, and manual language training in a wide range of aphasic subjects. Overall, the aphasic subjects appeared to be less impaired in their visuomotor processing than in their auditory-vocal processing. The results, however, are not definitive enough to resolve the long-standing debate as to whether or not a central symbolic deficit is present in aphasia.
Nonverbal communication and aphasia: a review. II. Expression
1982, Brain and Language

View all citing articles on Scopus

^☆: This study was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Diseases, Communication Disorders, and Stroke (NS 11408), the Veterans Administration, and Harvard Project Zero.

View full text

A note on temporal relations between language and gestures☆

Abstract

Brain and Language

Psychiatric conditions associated with focal lesions of the central nervous system