| There is a paucity of research describing discourse performance of adults with closed head injury (CHI). Studies examining discourse of individuals with CHI have produced contradictory findings. In addition, the relationship between discourse and cognitive abilities is not well understood. Existing studies tend to be descriptive in nature and often are not theoretically motivated.;The objectives of this study were twofold. Firstly, the study examined whether subjects in the chronic phase of CHI (n = 7 mild, n = 6 moderate) differed from normal control subjects (n = 9) in the ability to retell, abstract the gist, and determine the moral of Aesop's fables. Secondly, the study examined relationships among language structure, information structure, moral interpretation, general intellectual functioning, executive functioning, attention, and memory.;Two fables, Two Roosters and The Lion and the Mouse, were presented auditorily to subjects in an immediate and delayed retelling condition, respectively. Fable retellings were analysed according to language structure, information structure, and moral interpretation. A neuropsychological test battery consisting of measures of general intellectual function, executive function, attention and memory also was administered to CHI subjects. Correlational analyses were carried out to examine the relationships among variables.;Significant differences were found among diagnostic groups on language structure and information structure variables. Significant relationships among language structure, information structure, moral ratings, and neuropsychological measures were found. Results showed multiple cognitive influences on discourse measures. Language structure, information structure, and moral interpretation are discussed in relation to Frederiksen and colleagues (1990; 1990) stratified model of discourse processing. |
