A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of - Queen Margaret University

(raw score of 215 from maximum total of 320) and remembered 67% of this
information in delayed recall tasks. Individual participant performance suggests
the CLQT is not a robust assessment for recording overall cognitive processing
ability, particularly with people who are unable to respond in spoken format. So
although the statistical correlations supported the hypotheses, it was considered
that the memory processing abilities of some participants were underestimated.
The implications of memory processing impairment for language rehabilitation
relate to the type of language therapy treatment provided and suggest that
where possible memory processing impairment should be treated before
language intervention. Therefore it would be appropriate to evaluate memory
processing ability prior to language rehabilitation. This discussion indicates that
a more robust measurement of memory processing abilities must be evaluated
for this end – one that depends less on spoken responses.
6.3.3.3 The impact of executive functions on the learning of new
vocabulary
Executive function impairments have also been reported to co-occur with
aphasia following a stroke and affecting the ability to plan spoken
communication and monitor and correct errors such as perseveration (see
section 2.6.3.3). Therefore it was predicted that participants with executive
function impairment would not be able to demonstrate the learning of new
vocabulary as much as those without such impairment. The CLQT revealed
various levels of executive function impairment for participants in the main
investigation ranging from within normal limits to severe impairment. The
hypothesis ‘executive functions are correlated positively with the recall of new
vocabulary’ was supported for both immediate (r = +.670; p