Verb Argument Structure Encoding during Verb Naming and Sentence Production in Normal and Agrammatic Aphasic Speakers: An Eyetracking Study

Verbs with more complex argument structures are more impaired than those with less complex argument structures in agrammatic aphasia. However, the source of this deficit is unclear. The current study examined the production of two- and three-argument verbs in verb naming (VN) and sentence production (SP) conditions using eyetracking in twelve normal controls and one agrammatic aphasic speaker. For both control and aphasic participants, three-argument verbs elicited longer speech onset latency than two-argument verbs. Eye movement patterns from both groups provided evidence of incremental encoding of argument structure, suggesting that considerable capacity for argument structure encoding remains intact in agrammatism