Inference of object use from pntomimed actions by aphasics and patients with right hemisphere lesions

Lucia Vaina

Harold Goodglass

Lawren Daltroy

pp. 43-57

in: Synthese 104 (1), 1995.

Abstract

Twenty-four aphasic and fifteen right brain-damaged subjects were compared on their ability to identify the objects whose use was depicted in a series of twenty videotaped pantomimes. Aphasics were inferior to right brain-damaged patients in inferring object use. Success was correlated with Performance IQ, but not with language measures. Analysis of movement features contributing to subjects' choices reveal speed of movement and object weight to be the most robust and hand shape and size to be the most fragile.