Discourse Measures From the Modern Cookie Theft Picture Description Are Sensitive to Mild Communication Deficits Not Captured by the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised Aphasia Quotient.

purposeThe Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R) is often used for diagnosis of aphasia. However, persons scoring above the WAB-R diagnostic cutoff may still present with language difficulties indicative of aphasia. Identification of residual language challenges is critical for treatment referral or inclusion in research. We examined differences in discourse following acute left-hemisphere stroke for those above/below the WAB-R diagnostic cutoff compared to healthy controls, as well as recovery during the first year.

methodSixty-eight participants with acute left-hemisphere stroke completed the WAB-R and were classified as

resultsWilcoxon tests showed differences between healthy controls and ABW or NABW on all MCT metrics except efficiency for those NABW. Regression models showed no main effects of group or interaction between group and time point.

conclusionsThe NABW group showed deficits in verbal output, content production, and laterality on the MCT picture description task, suggesting the presence of possible aphasia and hemispatial neglect. Measures derived from the MCT may be more sensitive to residual language/communication difficulties not captured by the WAB-R. The NABW group also showed similar patterns of recovery as the ABW group, highlighting the MCT task's ability to capture change for those with mild impairments. Results support use of the MCT task in clinical settings, particularly if/when mild deficits are probable/suspected. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.28608116.