The impact alzheimer's disease on speech production and comprehension

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease beginning with mild memory loss and possibly leading to loss to carry on a conversation and respond to the environment. In a study by Corkin (1982), Alzheimer’s disease patients had a naming deficit caused by failure to identify the objects. The study prompted this current research through an identification of a niche. While the proof of concept (Exemplar Theory of Phonetics) has been promising, this study had a wide gap to address. In response to the gap in this field of study, the primary aim of this project was to add on to the knowledge in the area and devise a non-medical way to preserve speech production and comprehension in Alzheimer’s disease. There were three research objectives in this study: (1) To identify phonetic dimensions affected in the production of speech through the identification of distinctive features, (2) To explore whether Basotho in Age Care Facilities have any interventions as explanatory treatment for poor speech production and comprehension in Alzheimer’s disease, for the betterment of patient-carer relationship, and (3) To identify the role of exemplars in speech production. For these objectives to be met, a particular methodology had to be deployed. Through purposive sampling, the researcher chose the two Old Age Homes from which data was drawn. Nine Alzheimer’s disease patients were used as participants in this mixed methods study through participation in the focus group. the data was in a form of recorded conversations, which was later transcribed verbatim and analysed through content analysis. This project was the first to investigate the linguistic communication aspects on Alzheimer’s disease in Lesotho, and the key finding was that Alzheimer’s disease has a negative impact on the communication of the carers and patients as the patients do not fully comprehend what is being said to them and they are unable to produce some speech sounds