A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of - Queen Margaret University

Further statistical analyses with a larger sample may enable the interacting
influential factors to be fractionated to determine which factors impact most on
the learning of new vocabulary.
The provision of more detailed biological and neurological information with a
larger population would also allow for analyses of the biological limitations to
learning new vocabulary and related cortical plasticity. Additionally, the impact of
type of stroke (i.e. infarct versus haemorrhage) could be analysed in relation to
the number of new words learned. The use of brain-imaging techniques could
determine the location and severity of neurological damage and identify the
extent and location of cortical reorganisation following training, thus further
contributing to knowledge of the abilities and mechanisms involved in the
damaged brain learning new vocabulary. Findings may indicate new ways of
approaching the rehabilitation of such language impairments. The social impact
and influence on recovery should be considered such as family, active
engagement, return to work and emotional disturbances as a result of the
biological and psychological effects of the stroke. Close liaison with the
multidisciplinary team is recommended in order to reduce the impact of such
factors on rehabilitation, particularly where depression is involved which has a
temporary and reversible impact on language and cognitive functioning.
In this investigation participants were trained on five words per day for four days
and each day had a maximum of 30 minutes to consolidate this learning. The
investigation indicated that participants had different learning styles and premorbid
experience in learning skills. The lower scoring participants also had less
education and subsequently may have been less skilled in learning strategies
and techniques. Any further investigation should ensure that all participants
were given some time pre-training to explore their particular learning techniques.
In addition to learning techniques, participants may have different learning
processes where some people can memorise information more quickly than
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