Disorder in sequential speech perception: a case study on pure word deafness

Brain Lang. 2001 Feb;76(2):119-29. doi: 10.1006/brln.2000.2417.

Abstract

We described disorders of a patient which were uniquely restricted to speech perception of syllable sequences after brain damage. The results of series of experiments using syllable sequences showed "negative recency effect," in which the subject's repetition performance at the latter syllable position was remarkably poor. Experimental analyses suggested that the "negative recency effect" could be due to dual factors: the lower rate of processing of speech sounds and the memory load of holding processes of preceding syllables imposed on the succeeding phonological processing. The results also suggested that the holding processes which imposed the memory load on the succeeding auditory phonological coding processing were modality nonspecific.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aphasia, Wernicke / diagnosis*
  • Aphasia, Wernicke / etiology
  • Auditory Perceptual Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Cerebral Ventricles / pathology
  • Functional Laterality / physiology
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Phonetics
  • Putamen / pathology*
  • Speech Discrimination Tests
  • Speech Perception*
  • Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / complications
  • Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / diagnosis
  • Vocabulary*