AphasiaBank: Methods for studying discourse

Background: AphasiaBank is a computerised database of interviews between persons with aphasia (PWAs) and clinicians. By February 2011 the database had grown to include 145 PWAs and 126 controls from 12 sites across the United States. The data and related analysis programs are available free over the web. Aims: The overall goal of AphasiaBank is the construction of a system for accumulating and sharing data on language usage by PWAs. To achieve this goal we have developed a standard elicitation protocol, and systematic automatic and manual methods for transcription, coding, and analysis. Methods & Procedures: We present sample analyses of transcripts from the retelling of the Cinderella story. These analyses illustrate the application of our methods for the study of phonological, lexical, semantic, morphological, syntactic, temporal, prosodic, gestural, and discourse features. Outcomes & Results: AphasiaBank will allow researchers access to a large, shared database that can facilitate hypothesis testing and increase methodological replicability, precision, and transparency. Conclusions: AphasiaBank will provide researchers with an important new tool in the study of aphasia.