1. What's new for semantic feature analysis?
Revisiting a classic therapy technique
2012 Adult Language Group NSW Speech Pathology Evidence Based Practice Network
Linda Jones, Julia Murphy and Claire Layfield (Group Co-Leaders)
Lyndsey Nickels - Academic Member
Presented by Claire Layfield

2. Semantic Feature Analysis
Aphasia is frequently associated with semantic breakdown
Semantic feature analysis is a technique that underpins the general philosophy behind many treatments for semantic impairments

3. Object, picture or idea Semantics Semantic word retrieval impairment
purrs
fur
barks
4-legs
pet
scales
Phonological Lexicon
robin
cat
dog
rabbit
fish
house
The idea behind sematic feature analysis is that the client is guided to produce words that are semantically associated to a target word, enhancing target retrieval. So we can see here that as we increase the number of semantic links it the object we restrict the number of retrieval options but it isn’t until we include barks as a feature that we end up with a unique set of semantic features which gives us the target exclusively.
Phonological Buffer/
Phonemes k d æ o g t
Slide modified with thanks to Lyndsey Nickels

4. Semantic Feature Analysis
GROUP ACTION
PROPERTIES ASSOCIATION
(Boyle, 2001; Boyle, 2004; Coelho, McHugh, & Boyle, 2004; Kiran, & Johnson,2008; Kiran, 2008; Rider, Wright, Marshall & Page, 2008)
PWA is provided with a picture, asked to name it, and then encouraged to describe the semantic features of a target.

5. Semantic Feature Analysis
Semantic feature analysis therapy is provided at word level BUT our treatment goals are discourse based
Clinical Question: For people with aphasia, in what circumstances does SFA improve
Naming of treated items
Naming of untreated items
Generalisation to spontaneous speech
As a group, despite many of using this technique clinically, few of us knew the efficacy for it. Also because it is considered a word based therapy technique and generally we want our therapy goasl to be discourse based if possible we were interested in knowing whether naming therapy such as semantic feature analysis transferred to spontaneous speech. So the clinical question we came up with was…

6. Semantic Feature Analysis: CAPS
Initial searching by the group found 23 articles
From these 16 were CAPPED
The others were excluded because
Treatment data was not available (e.g. expert commentary)
Treatment was not applicable (e.g. neuroimaging)
The participants had speech and language impairments in addition to aphasia
PWA is provided with a picture, asked to name it, and then encouraged to describe the semantic features of a target.

7. The Evidence: Research Design
Single case experimental design
Case series
Low level of evidence on NHMRC evidence hierarchy.
BUT well designed single case and case series, can be more powerful in terms of clinical applicability.

8. The Evidence: Participants
No correlation between treatment efficacy and
Type of aphasia
Severity of aphasia
Time post onset
Aetiology
Representative of the group caseload
High variability was reported for
Type of aphasia: range of fluent and non fluent and where neuroimaging was reported there was wide ranging patterns in neural correlates. The range of severity (mild-severe). There was also a case series report of bilingual aphasia looking at transfer of naming skills in the untrained language which was quite clinically relevant for a lot of us and so little evidence for bilingual aphasiacs on treatment but most of have bilingual aphasics on our caseload.
Time PO: ranged from 4months – 65 months

9. The Evidence : Intervention
Variability noted in
Treatment schedules
Therapy duration
Individual vs group based
Variability noted in therapy administration
Cueing hierarchies, prompts, responses to errors
Added components of discourse (put word into phrase)
Initially when we decided on this topic, we all had an idea of what SFA was and how to use it therapeutically and to tweak to fit the individual needs of our clients. What we didn’t expect was for there to be so much variability in the research.

10. The Evidence: Measurement
Measures included
confrontational naming (typically treated and untreated items)
Standardised measures
Generalisation measures typically discourse based (CIU, words and error production rates)
Participation measures: Social validity questionnaire

11. The Evidence: Outcomes
Treated items
increased and maintained
Untreated items
Similar trends but reduced in magnitude
Standardised assessments
Small improvements to overall scores
Generalisation
At best “modest” improvements in discourse based measurements maintained over time

12. Applying these results to clinical practice
Semantic feature analysis
Appears to be clinically feasible
Increases naming, reduces perseveration, and this transfers to conversation in the short term
What remains in question is
Is this technique more beneficial than other therapy techniques and
Is there a way of combining this technique with a second level of phrase/sentence level therapy which may generate and maintain functional communication improvements

13. Future Research Research investigating
Semantic feature analysis vs other techniques which is controlled for therapy dosage
Semantic feature analysis in group vs individual settings
Systematic investigation of enhancing maintenance and generalisation
Outcomes from acute and chronic phases of therapy
would all be helpful to determine the extent and nature of the therapy benefits reported in the literature to date

14. Questions??? Best Friend Target = Ruby
Digs holes in new lawn
Barks in the middle of the night
Best Friend
Jumps to get clean clothes off the line
Steals shoes and chews them

15. References
Antonucci, S. M. (2009). Use of semantic feature analysis in group aphasia treatment. Aphasiology, 23(7-8),
Boyle, M. (2001). Semantic Feature Analysis: The Evidence for Treating Lexical Impairments in Aphasia. . Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders, 11,
Boyle, M. (2004). Semantic feature analysis treatment for anomia in two fluent aphasia syndromes. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 13(3),
Boyle, M. (2010). Semantic feature analysis treatment for aphasic word retrieval impairments: What's in a name? Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, 17(6),
Boyle, M. (2011). Discourse treatment for word retrieval impairment in aphasia: The story so far. Aphasiology, 25(11),
Boyle, M., & Coelho, C. A. (1995). Application of Semantic Feature Analysis as a Treatment for Aphasic Dysnomia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 4(4),
Cermak, L. S., Stiassny, D., & Uhly, B. (1984). Reconstructive Retrieval Deficits in Broca's Aphasia. Brain and Language, 21(1),
Coelho, C. A., McHugh, R. E., & Boyle, M. (2000). Semantic feature analysis as a treatment for aphasic dysnomia: A replication. Aphasiology, 14(2),
Conley, A., & Coelho, C. A. (2003). Treatment of word retrieval impairment in chronic Broca's aphasia. Aphasiology, 17(3),
Davis, L. A., & Stanton, S. T. (2005). Semantic feature analysis as a functional therapy tool. Contemporary Issues in Communication Science & Disorders, 32,
Falconer, C., & Antonucci, S. M. (2012). Use of semantic feature analysis in group discourse treatment for aphasia: Extension and expansion. Aphasiology, 26(1),
Hashimoto, N., & Frome, A. (2011). The use of a modified semantic features analysis approach in aphasia. Journal of Communication Disorders, 44(4),
Kiran, S., Ntourou, K., Eubanks, M., & Shamapant, S. (2005). Typicality of inanimate category exemplars in aphasia: Further evidence for the semantic complexity effect. Brain and Language, 95(1 SPEC. ISS.),
Kiran, S., & Roberts, P. M. (2010). Semantic feature analysis treatment in spanish-english and french-english bilingual aphasia. Aphasiology, 24(2),

16. References
Kiran, S., & Viswanathan, M. (2008). Effect of model-based treatment on oral reading abilities in severe alexia: a case study. Journal of Medical Speech-Language Pathology, 16(1),
Law, S.-P., Wong, W., Sung, F., & Hon, J. (2006). A study of semantic treatment of three Chinese anomic patients. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 16(6),
Law, S. P., Yeung, O., & Chiu, K. M. Y. (2008). Treatment for anomia in Chinese using an ortho-phonological cueing method. Aphasiology, 22(2),
Leonard, C., Rochon, E., & Laird, L. (2008). Treating naming impairments in aphasia: Findings from a phonological components analysis treatment. Aphasiology, 22(9),
Lowell, S., Beeson, P. M., & Holland, A. L. (1995). The Efficacy of a Semantic Cueing Procedure on Naming Performance of Adults with Aphasia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 4(4),
Marcotte, K., & Ansaldo, A. I. (2010). The neural correlates of semantic feature analysis in chronic aphasia: discordant patterns according to the etiology. Seminars in speech and language, 31(1),
Marcotte, K., Damien, B., De Preaumont, M., Genereux, S., Hubert, M., & Ansaldo, A. (2010). Neural correlates of semantic feature analysis in chronic aphasia: A multiple single-case study. Stroke, 41(7), e499.
Marcotte, K., Vitali, P., Delgado, A. P., & Ansaldo, A. I. (2006). The neural correlates of therapy with semantic feature analysis in chronic anomia: an event-related fMRI study... 44th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Aphasia, Victoria, British Columbia 15th-17th October Brain & Language, 99(1-2),
Peach, R. K., & Reuter, K. A. (2010). A discourse-based approach to semantic feature analysis for the treatment of aphasic word retrieval failures. Aphasiology, 24(9),
Rider, J. D., Wright, H. H., Marshall, R. C., & Page, J. L. (2008). Using semantic feature analysis to improve contextual discourse in adults with aphasia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 17(2),
Rose, M., & Douglas, J. (2008). Treating a semantic word production deficit in aphasia with verbal and gesture methods. Aphasiology, 22(1),
Viswanathan, M., & Kiran, S. (2005). Treatment for pure alexia using a model based approach: Evidence from one acute aphasic individual. Brain and Language, 95(1 SPEC. ISS.),
Wambaugh, J. L., & Ferguson, M. (2007). Application of semantic feature analysis to retrieval of action names in aphasia. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, 44(3),