Production and comprehension in aphasia: gains and pitfalls in using macrostructure tasks in Aesop's fables.

Macrostructures provide the global meaning of a text. Using Aesop's fables, the main goal of this study has been to identify the advantages and limitations in using the macrostructure tasks of retell, summary, lesson, and gist as clinical tools in understanding 16 patients with mild-to-moderate aphasia. Results suggest that all of the macrostructure tasks are important in determining the production skills of patients with aphasia.

Personal narratives in aphasia: understanding narrative competence.

Background: Personal narratives have been suggested as a way for persons post stroke to re-establish their identity. To relate tellable personal stories, narrative competence - along with its building blocks - is essential.

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe narrative competence in persons with mild to moderate aphasia.