ERIC Number: EJ1368907
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1368-2822
EISSN: EISSN-1460-6984
Available Date: N/A
Conversations in Dementia with Lewy Bodies: Resources and Barriers in Communication
Lindeberg, Sophia; Müller, Nicole; Samuelsson, Christina
International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, v58 n2 p419-432 Mar-Apr 2023
Background: In dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), limitations in linguistic and cognitive abilities may lead to difficulties in participating in conversations. The conversational outcome is also dependent on how the conversation partner adjusts to potential communicative challenges. Aims: This study explored resources and barriers in communication in DLB. Methods & Procedures: Linguistic and cognitive function was explored through standard clinical testing. The dyad's perception of function in daily life was explored through semi-structured interviews analysed with content analysis. Interactional patterns and participation in casual conversation was analysed with conversation analysis. Outcome & Results: The results show how the husband diagnosed with DLB performed with high scores across most cognitive and linguistic test tasks. The interview data, however, revealed how both he and his wife experienced significant challenges regarding, for example, conversational tempo, as well as negative feelings relating to adjusting to these conversational changes. The interactional data from the casual conversation revealed, among other patterns, how the wife engaged in most of the storytelling in the conversation. The husband contributed details when his wife asked for help, or he acknowledged a faulty or missing detail in his wife's storyline. Thus, they both oriented to the husband's competence in monitoring and keeping track of the conversational content, despite challenges in taking the floor. Conclusions & Implications: A holistic picture of communication in DLB necessitates the use of different evaluation approaches. Both monological (e.g., test tasks revealing cognitive and linguistic resources) and dialogical information sources (e.g., observations of conversations revealing adjustments in conversations), as well as the perceptions of those engaging in everyday conversations (i.e., people with DLB and their conversation partner(s)), need to be evaluated when assessing resources and barriers in communication.
Descriptors: Dementia, Language Impairments, Cognitive Ability, Interpersonal Communication, Interaction, Adjustment (to Environment), Communication Disorders, Affordances, Barriers
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www-wiley-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A