Auditory Comprehension and Visual-Manual Tracking Dual-Task Performance in Aphasia: Preliminary Findings

Impaired attention or its allocation has been proposed as an underlying mechanism for aphasic language performance deficits (e.g., McNeil, Odell, & Tseng, 1991). Therefore, aphasic language deficits should be magnified under more difficult conditions (i.e. presence and/or difficulty manipulation of a competing task). Twelve participants with aphasia completed a story retell procedure in isolation and under dual-task visual-manual tracking conditions. No significant differences were found in story retell when tracking task difficulty was manipulated or in story retell or tracking performance in single versus dual-task conditions. Performance trends suggest meaningful differences could be observed with a larger sample