Conversational discourse in closed-head-injured and non-brain-injured adults
Background: Functional communication requires proficiency in the adaptation of language to varied contexts. Recent research has demonstrated that individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience difficulty with communicative effectiveness across a variety of discourse genres. Analysis of conversation following TBI is of particular interest because of its importance in the process of socialisation. The development and maintenance of social relationships has been noted to be difficult for individuals with TBI. It has been suggested that these interactional difficulties are the result of social skills deficits which may be a reflection of impaired language use. A variety of analyses have been applied to samples of conversation from individuals with TBI. These analyses have included pragmatic rating scales, exchange structure analysis, Conversation Analysis, as well as measures of topic initiation, topic maintenance, and response appropriateness. Overall, individuals with TBI have been noted to have d...