An Examination of Strategy Implementation During Abstract Nonlinguistic Category Learning in Aphasia.

To study strategy use during nonlinguisitic category learning in aphasia. Twelve non-aphasic controls and 53 patients with aphasia (PWA) completed a computerized feedback-based category learning task comprising of training and testing phases. Accuracy rates of categorization in testing phases were calculated. To evaluate strategy use, strategy analyses were conducted over training and testing phases. Participant data was compared with model data that simulated complex multi-cue (OMC), single feature (SF) and random pattern (RP) strategies. Learning success and strategy use were evaluated within the context of standardized cognitive-linguistic assessments. Categorization accuracy was higher among control participants than among individuals with aphasia. The majority of control participants implemented suboptimal or optimal multi-cue and single feature strategies by testing phases of the experiment. In contrast, a large subgroup of individuals with aphasia implemented random patterns, or no strategy, during both training and testing phases of the experiment. Person-to-person variability arises not only in category learning ability, but in the strategies implemented to complete category learning tasks. PWA less frequently developed effective strategies during category learning tasks than controls. Certain PWA may have impairments of strategy development or feedback processing not captured by language and currently probed cognitive abilities.

研究失语症患者非语言类别学习过程中的策略使用 12名非失语症对照者和53名失语症患者（PWA）完成了一项基于计算机反馈的类别学习任务，该任务包括训练和测试阶段。计算了测试阶段的分类准确率。为了评估策略使用情况，在训练和测试阶段进行了策略分析。将参与者的数据与模拟复杂多线索（OMC）、单一特征（SF）和随机模式（RP）策略的模型数据进行了比较。在标准化的认知 - 语言评估背景下对学习成功和策略使用情况进行了评估。 对照参与者的分类准确率高于失语症患者。大多数对照参与者在实验的测试阶段采用了次优或最优的多线索和单一特征策略。相比之下，在实验的训练和测试阶段，很大一部分失语症患者采用了随机模式，或者没有策略。 不仅在类别学习能力方面，而且在完成类别学习任务所采用的策略方面都存在个体差异。在类别学习任务中，失语症患者比对照者更不常形成有效的策略。某些失语症患者可能存在策略发展或反馈处理方面的障碍，这些障碍未被语言以及目前所探究的认知能力所涵盖。