Theories and Protagonists

• By Juergen Tesak, Chris Code

Milestones in the History of Aphasia surveys the history of aphasia from its earliest mentions in ancient times, to the turn of the new millennium in 2000.

The book takes a predominantly chronological approach starting with an examination of the earliest medical documents and medieval attempts to understand aphasia, to the momentous events of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, up to the development of modern cognitive neuroscience in recent years. It traces the development of theory about and understanding of aphasia, and the role of significant individuals in this history. The result is a well illustrated introduction to the main events and personalities in the rich history of aphasia.

This accessible book provides a unique insight into the fascinating development of research in aphasia. It will be of great interest to undergraduates and postgraduates, researchers, teachers and clinicians in psychology, speech and language pathology and therapy, neurology and linguistics.

ISBN: 9781841695136

Published February 01 2008 by Psychology Press.

A Special Issue of the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

• Edited by Dr Dorothy Bishop, Margaret Snowling, Sarah-Jayne Blakemore

Uta Frith has been an outstandingly influential figure in the field of developmental neuropsychology for over 40 years, and is internationally renowned for her work on developmental cognitive disorders. Her scholarly influence has defined contemporary research on atypical development, notably in the fields of autism and dyslexia.

This tribute to Uta brings together her former graduate students, post-doctoral scientists and collaborators in a series of papers that provide reflections on current theory and research. The volume bears the hallmark of Uta’s mentoring by including critical ‘state of the art’ reviews, empirical research which challenges mainstream views and consideration of alternative hypotheses that set the stage for future research. Topics covered include behavioural and neuroimaging studies of autism, dyslexia, psychopathy, as well as theoretical and experimental accounts of normal and abnormal development of intelligence, reading and social cognition.

This special issue of the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology will be of interest to all students and researchers in the area.

ISBN: 9781841698397

Published December 20 2007 by Psychology Press.

• By Vesna Mildner

This is a book about speech and language. It is primarily intended for those interested in speech and its neurophysiological bases: phoneticians, linguists, educators, speech therapists, psychologists, and neuroscientists. Although speech and language are its central topic, it provides information about related topics as well (e.g. structure and functioning of the central nervous system, research methods in neuroscience, theories and models of speech production and perception, learning, and memory). Data on clinical populations are given in parallel with studies of healthy subjects because such comparisons can give a better understanding of intact and disordered speech and language functions.

There is a review of literature (more than 600 sources) and research results covering areas such as neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, development of the nervous system, sex differences, history of neurolinguistics, behavioral, neuroimaging and other research methods in neuroscience, linguistics and psychology, theories and models of the nervous system function including speech and language processing, kinds of memory and learning and their neural substrates, critical periods, various aspects of normal speech and language processes (e.g. phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, reading), bilingualism, speech and language disorders, and many others.

Newcomers to the field of neurolinguistics will find it as readable as professionals will because it is organized in a way that gives the readers flexibility and an individual approach to the text. The language is simple but all the technical terms are provided, explained, and illustrated. A comprehensive glossary provides additional information.

ISBN: 9780805854350

Published October 15 2007 by Psychology Press (formerly published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates).

The Story of Israeli Sign Language

• By Irit Meir, Wendy Sandler

This English version of A Language in Space: The Story of Israeli Sign Language, which received the Bahat Award for most outstanding book for a general audience in its Hebrew edition, is an introduction to sign language using Israeli Sign Language (ISL) as a model. Authors Irit Meir and Wendy Sandler offer a glimpse into a number of fascinating descriptions of the ISL community to which linguists and other researchers may not have access. An underlying premise of the book is that language is a mental system with universal properties, and that language lives through people.

A clear and engaging read, A Language in Space addresses relevant aspects of sign language, including the most abstract questions and matters related to society and community. Divided into three parts, the book covers:

• the linguistic structure of Israeli Sign Language;
• the language and its community; and
• a broad depiction of ISL and the contribution of sign language research to linguistic theory.

This book is intended for linguists (with or without a background in sign language), psychologists, sociologists, educators, students, and anyone with an interest in the human capacity for language.

ISBN: 9780805855708

Published September 07 2007 by Psychology Press (formerly published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates).

Behavioral and Biological Perspectives

• Edited by Elena L. Grigorenko, Adam J. Naples

As the first title in the new series, New Directions in Communication Disorders Research: Integrative Approaches, this volume discusses a unique phenomenon in cognitive science, single-word reading, which is an essential element in successful reading competence. Single-word reading is an interdisciplinary area of research that incorporates phonological, orthographic, graphemic, and semantic information in the representations suitable for the task demands of reading. Editors Elena L. Grigorenko and Adam J. Naples have organized a collection of essays written by an outstanding group of scholars in order to systematically sample research on this important topic, as well as to describe the research within different experimental paradigms.

Single-Word Reading provides an introduction to unfamiliar areas of research, and is an inspiration for future study. The introductory chapter sets up a contextual stage for connections between spoken and written word processing, the stage-based nature of their development, and the role of education. Succeeding chapters address visual word processing; the role of morphology in word recognition; the role of lexical representation; the biological bases of single-word reading and related processes; and more.

Reading researchers will take interest in this substantial book, as will professionals and practitioners linked to the teaching of reading in the departments of school psychology, special education, communication disorders, neuroscience, cognitive science, linguistics, and reading.

ISBN: 9780805853506

Published August 24 2007 by Psychology Press (formerly published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates).

• Edited by R. Steven Ackley, T. Newell Decker, Charles J. Limb

An Essential Guide to Hearing and Balance Disorders consolidates the most significant clinical aspects of hearing and balance disorders, ranging from cause and diagnosis to treatment and cure. Experts in various subspecialties of this extensive topic introduce readers to the most sophisticated and state of the art methods of diagnosis and treatment. Each chapter expands on a specific topic area along the continuum of how medical personnel diagnose hearing and balance disorders, to how surgical implantation of the cochlea and rehabilitation can remedy various conditions.

In concise format, the book begins with a case history and follows with comprehensive descriptions of current knowledge regarding fundamental causes of hearing loss and balance disorders, as well as a thorough examination of objective assessment. The latter half of the volume presents specialized treatment and rehabilitative options for various disorders. The chapters in this part cover special topics and conclude with pertinent case studies. Unique areas of discussion in a text of this kind include:

• genetics of deafness
• pediatric hearing loss and hearing loss later in life
• business essentials in audiology private practice
• professional issues, such as ethics, methods of practice, and conflicts of interest.

As its title implies, this book is critically important for all students and professionals in hearing/balance related disciplines, including audiology, otolaryngology, general medicine, and rehabilitation oriented allied health care occupations.

ISBN: 9780805858938

Published May 22 2007 by Psychology Press (formerly published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates).

Future Directions: A Festschrift for Chris Code

• Edited by Martin Ball, Jack S. Damico

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 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.

ISBN: 9781841696706

Published May 11 2007 by Psychology Press.

• Edited by Barbara P. Uzzell, Marcel Ponton, Alfredo Ardila

ISBN: 9780805835854

Published January 05 2007 by Psychology Press (formerly published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates).

• Edited by Antje Meyer, Linda Wheeldon, Andrea Krott

The use of language is a fundamental component of much of our day-to-day life. Language often co-occurs with other activities with which it must be coordinated. This raises the question of whether the cognitive processes involved in planning spoken utterances and in understanding them are autonomous or whether they are affected by, and perhaps affect, non-linguistic cognitive processes, with which they might share processing resources. This question is the central concern of Automaticity and Control in Language Processing.

The chapters address key issues concerning the relationship between linguistic and non-linguistic processes, including:

• How can the degree of automaticity of a component be defined?
• Which linguistic processes are truly automatic, and which require processing capacity?
• Through which mechanisms can control processes affect linguistic performance? How might these mechanisms be represented in the brain?
• How do limitations in working memory and executive control capacity affect linguistic performance and language re-learning in persons with brain damage?

This important collection from leading international researchers will be of great interest to researchers and students in the area.

ISBN: 9781841696508

Published December 14 2006 by Psychology Press.

Volume 2

• By Sally Byng, Judith Felson Duchan, Carole Pound

The Aphasia Therapy Files represent a practical resource for people who work with individuals with aphasia, either as therapists or as researchers. An overview of issues associated with current practices is combined with a study of the practicalities of determining, designing and implementing therapies.

This second volume continues to explore the possibility of bridging the gap between therapy in a clinical setting and the practical issues faced by the person living with aphasia. Each author presents one or more of their clinical practices in order to share their therapy experiences and reasoning with others. These contributions provide an insight into the complex issues that face both the practitioner and the person with aphasia, including discussion of subjects such as:

Revealing competence and rethinking identity for people with severe aphasia using drawing and a communication book

Respecting the rights of a person with aphasia to their own life choices: a longitudinal therapy study

A group approach to the long-term rehabilitation of people with acquired head injury within the community

Lexical and functionally based treatment: effects on word retrieval and conversation

While each of the chapters is of considerable interest on its own, the final chapter offers readers a method of describing and capturing what happens in therapy and why, to enable comparisons between therapies and application by readers themselves.

Written by speech and language therapists working in clinical practice, the studies included in this unique resource reflect the realities of everyday practice and will appeal to therapists, students and researchers in aphasia.

ISBN: 9781841692708

Published November 30 2006 by Psychology Press.