Discourse relations analysis as a resource for Alzheimer´s disease monitoring

Authors

  • Anayeli Paulino UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTÓNOMA DE MÉXICO
  • Gerardo Sierra UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTÓNOMA DE MÉXICO
  • Iria da Cunha UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE EDUCACIÓN A DISTANCIA
  • Laura Hernández-Domínguez ÉCOLE DU TECHNOLOGIE SUPÉRIEURE

Keywords:

Rhetorical relations, semantic dialogue units, coherence, Rhetorical Structure Theory, dementia of the Alzheimer’s type

Abstract

This paper explores the results of a measurement proposal for discourse coherence of elderly patients who have been diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (DAT), in contrast with cognitively-healthy elderly. By means of the Rhetorical Structure Theory, the rhetorical relations underlying conversations of seven elderly patients in different stages of dementia and six cognitively healthy elderly were analyzed. The procedure involved segmentation of semantic discourse units (SDUs), labeling of relations and making of discourse trees. Additionally, relations of caregivers were counted for analyzing their contributions and conversational strategies in semi-structured interviews. We found that elderly patients produce more relations and use more variety of them. Involuntary Cause, Solution, Concession, Elaboration and Involuntary Result are related to cognitively healthy subjects’ discourse. On the other hand, some rhetorical relations are used by caregivers for pragmatic purposes. Due to our results, we believe that it is plausible to add the discourse coherence into the catalog of linguistic affectations considered for the clinic profile of a patient with DTA.

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Published

2020-03-02

How to Cite

Paulino, A., Sierra, G., da Cunha, I., & Hernández-Domínguez, L. (2020). Discourse relations analysis as a resource for Alzheimer´s disease monitoring. Revista Signos. Estudios De Lingüística, 53(102). Retrieved from https://revistasignos.cl/index.php/signos/article/view/500

Issue

Vol. 53 No. 102 (2020): March

Section

Monographic Section Articles

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