Tammy Hopper

Implicit and explicit learning gains in Alzheimer's patients: Effects of naming and information retrieval training

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of repeated exposure to words from a target category on implicit and explicit learning of seven mild to moderate Alzheimers patients. Following 18-20 baseline fluency tests on the target category, subjects participated in eight sessions of a picture naming exercise and related quiz (study task) which exposed them to 33 words from the target category (exposure words). One hour after each study task session, the fluency test used at baseline was administered again (experimental fluency test). All subjects increased correct responses on the study task, demonstrating significant explicit learning. Six subjects produced exposure words on the experimental fluency tests that they had never named during the multiple baseline tests and all subjects unexpectedly named novel words (not exposure words and not produced at baseline) on the experimental fluency tests. Taken together, these results provide evidence of implicit and explicit learning and semantic activation. Implications for management and direction for future research are discussed.

Situation-specific training for adults with aphasia: An example

Abstract Two individuals with aphasia were taught to communicate in simulated emergency situations using a situation-specific training strategy. A single-subject experimental design was used to determine the efficacy of the treatment procedure. The results indicated that both individuals improved within 10 treatment sessions with variable levels of generalization and lasting effects at 4 weeks following treatment. These preliminary data provide evidence that a situation-specific approach has promise as an efficacious technique to facilitate functional communicative outcomes in patients with aphasia.

Aphasia and Learning in Adults: Key Concepts and Clinical Considerations

Principles of adult learning are important to rehabilitation professionals working with individuals who have aphasia because learning is central to the therapeutic enterprise. However, discussions of age and learning are largely absent in the literature on rehabilitation of individuals with aphasia. Understanding the context in which adult learning is facilitated, and integrating adult learning principles into treatment programs, may assist clients in achieving therapeutic goals. In this article, adult learning is defined, key principles of adult learning are described, and clinical implications for individuals with aphasia are discussed.