Clinical Aphasiology

Book excerpt: This book presents a collection of cutting edge work from leading researchers and clinicians around the world on a range of topics within Clinical Aphasiology. However, more than this, the volume is also a tribute to Chris Code, one of the foremost scholars in the field. Professor Code has made a galvanizing impact on the field: as a savant, a motivator and an impresario of trends which have resulted in several significant developments in the field. In the first chapter of this book the editors outline the considerable contributions Chris Code has made to the area. The remaining contents have been divided into three main approaches to the study of aphasia, reflecting Professor Code's own interests. First are the contributions that fall under the heading of Conceptual Considerations. These are mainly interdisciplinary in nature, spanning linguistics, phonetics, psychology and neurology, as well as social aspects of communication disorders. The second section of the book deals with Research Considerations, with chapters ranging from how the study of disrupted communication can inform models of normal language processing, through tone production and processing in speakers with aphasia, to anomia and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Each of these chapters explores different aspects of research methodology, including quantitative and qualitative research. The final section of the collection deals with Clinical Considerations; the chapters here cover counselling, computerized training, cultural and linguistic diversity in aphasia, right hemisphere disorders, and communication problems in the dementias. Clinical Aphasiology will be an invaluable tool for both students and practitioners in speech and language pathology, psychology, neurology, and related fields.