Antonucci Research

Antonucci, S.M., Beeson, P.M., Labiner, D.M., & Rapcsak, S.Z. (2008). Lexical retrieval and semantic knowledge in patients with left inferior temporal lobe lesions. Aphasiology, 22(3), 281-304.

In this study, we examined semantically-guided lexical retrieval in those with unilateral left temporal lesions acquired as the result of seizure disorder or stroke within the left posterior cerebral artery territory. Our findings contributed to a better understanding of the cognitive mechanism of naming impairment in patients with temporal lobe damage, and they support the notion that pure anomia and semantic anomia represent two endpoints along a continuum of semantic impairment.

Antonucci, S.M. (2009). Use of semantic feature analysis in group aphasia treatment. Aphasiology, 23(7/8), 854-866.

This study was the first to demonstrate the benefits of semantic feature analysis as delivered within the context of group aphasia treatment. Participants demonstrated improved naming in the context of connected speech.

Antonucci, S.M. & Alt, M. (2011). A lifespan perspective on semantic processing of concrete objects: does a sensory/motor model have the potential to bridge the gap? Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience,11, 551–572.

In this review of behavioral and neuroimaging studies from infancy to older adulthood, we posited that semantic processes that develop in early childhood remain salient throughout the lifespan and may also predict patterns of deficit that emerge following acquired brain injury.

Antonucci, S.M. & MacWilliam, C. (2015). Verbal description of concrete objects: A method for assessing semantic circumlocution in persons with aphasia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 24, S828-S837.

In this study, we reported findings from a naming-to-definition task for living and nonliving concepts that provides evidence for the types of semantic information that characterize sufficient versus insufficient circumlocutions for identification of the concept being described.

Antonucci, S.M. (2022). Animal-Assisted Intervention in Speech-Language Pathology: Practical, Clinical, and Theoretical Considerations. Seminars in Speech and Language, 43(1), 1-7.

In this review, the extant evidence regarding the efficacy of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) for those with communication disorders was reviewed, along with recommendations for incorporating AAI into clinical speech-language pathology practice.