The Effect of Cognitive Functions on Verbal Fluency: Evidence from Adult Patients with Right Hemisphere Damage

Document Type : مقالات علمی پژوهشی

Authors
1 Ph.D. Student, Department of English Language and Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of English and Linguistics, Faculty of Language and Literature, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of English Language and Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cognitive functions on verbal fluency. For this purpose, some cognitive functions and verbal fluency in adult patients with right hemisphere damage were evaluated. The methodological nature of this study is descriptive-analytical. The statistical population of the study consists of 18 adult patients with right hemisphere damage and 18 healthy adults. Selective attention test, memory test, clock drawing test (visual neglect) and verbal fluency test were used to evaluate cognitive functions and linguistic skill of the subjects. Research data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings showed that there is a significant difference between performance of adult patients with right hemisphere damage and healthy adults in the cognitive tests (P< 0.05). Likewise, in the verbal fluency test, there is a significant difference between performance of adult patients with right hemisphere damage and healthy adults (P< 0.05). In addition, the research findings showed that there is a correlation between cognitive functions and verbal fluency. Also, the results showed that damage to the right hemisphere of brain can lead to disorders in cognitive functions of patients with right hemisphere damage. Furthermore, it seems that impairment in cognitive functions can cause problems in language skills.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 13 July 2025