Producing speech automatisms (recurring utterances): Looking for what is left

Nine expressively severely impaired aphasics with a predominant production of syllabic speech automatisms (e.g. do-do-do) were investigated. Firstly, the group respected differential length types in relation to three types of questions (yes/no, wh-questions and narrative requests) in a standardized interview. Secondly, preserved articulatory and phonological capacities in series and syntagmatic cueing conditions were found in a subgroup. Finally, observations in written language suggest that automatisms are restricted to oral speech. Results are discussed within the framework of a language production model.