Discourse Macrostructure in Aphasia

The investigation of discourse ability in aphasia is one of the richest areas in neuropsychology and neurolinguistics in revealing the complex relations that exist between language and cognition. This is so because discourse formulation is an intellectual activity that entails not only the understanding and manipulation of linguistic information, but also involves cognitive operations essential to the organization of information. Despite the abundance of empirical facts that characterize discourse in aphasic patients, relatively little is known regarding what abilities are absolutely necessary for discourse production. In regard to language, the primary issues are: What are the basic linguistic abilities necessary for producing discourse? How do the linguistic prerequisites vary depending on the discourse genre and the conceptual complexity of the discourse text or task? In regard to cognitive ability, the primary issue is: What role does the ability to organize information play in producing well-formed discourse, both as a function of the discourse genre and of the conceptual complexity of the text or task?