1. health and fitness
2. disorders

What's new for semantic feature analysis?
Revisiting a classic therapy technique
Linda Jones, Julia Murphy and Claire Layfield (Group Co-Leaders)
Lyndsey Nickels - Academic Member
Presented by Claire Layfield
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Aphasia is frequently associated with
semantic breakdown
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Semantic feature analysis is a technique that
underpins the general philosophy behind
many treatments for semantic impairments
Semantic word
Object, picture
or idea
retrieval impairment
purrs
robin
fur
cat
k
d
barks
4-legs
dog
æ
pet
rabbit
o
Slide modified with thanks to Lyndsey Nickels
Semantics
scales
fish
g
house
t
Phonological
Lexicon
Phonological Buffer/
Phonemes
GROUP
PROPERTIES
ACTION
ASSOCIATION
(Boyle, 2001; Boyle, 2004; Coelho, McHugh, & Boyle, 2004; Kiran, & Johnson,2008; Kiran, 2008; Rider, Wright,
Marshall & Page, 2008)
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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
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Initial searching by the group found 23 articles
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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

Research design
 Single case experimental design
 Case series

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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.

No correlation between treatment efficacy and
 Type of aphasia
 Severity of aphasia
 Time post onset
 Aetiology

Representative of the group caseload

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)

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

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

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

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
Target = Ruby
Barks in the
middle of
the night
Digs holes in
new lawn
Jumps to
get clean
clothes off
the line
Best Friend
Steals shoes
and chews
them
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Antonucci, S. M. (2009). Use of semantic feature analysis in group aphasia treatment. Aphasiology, 23(7-8), 854-866.
Boyle, M. (2001). Semantic Feature Analysis: The Evidence for Treating Lexical Impairments in Aphasia. . Perspectives on
Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders, 11, 23-28.
Boyle, M. (2004). Semantic feature analysis treatment for anomia in two fluent aphasia syndromes. American Journal of Speech-Language
Pathology, 13(3), 236-249.
Boyle, M. (2010). Semantic feature analysis treatment for aphasic word retrieval impairments: What's in a name? Topics in Stroke
Rehabilitation, 17(6), 411-422.
Boyle, M. (2011). Discourse treatment for word retrieval impairment in aphasia: The story so far. Aphasiology, 25(11), 1308-1326.
Boyle, M., & Coelho, C. A. (1995). Application of Semantic Feature Analysis as a Treatment for Aphasic Dysnomia. American Journal of
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Cermak, L. S., Stiassny, D., & Uhly, B. (1984). Reconstructive Retrieval Deficits in Broca's Aphasia. Brain and Language, 21(1), 95-104.
Coelho, C. A., McHugh, R. E., & Boyle, M. (2000). Semantic feature analysis as a treatment for aphasic dysnomia: A replication.
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Conley, A., & Coelho, C. A. (2003). Treatment of word retrieval impairment in chronic Broca's aphasia. Aphasiology, 17(3), 203-211.
Davis, L. A., & Stanton, S. T. (2005). Semantic feature analysis as a functional therapy tool. Contemporary Issues in Communication
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expansion. Aphasiology, 26(1), 64-82.
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Disorders, 44(4), 459-469.
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