Abstracts Category : Other

Self-narrative following acquired brain Injury: an exploration of subjective, linguistic, and other associated factors

by Barbara Jenni

The re-creation of a holistic narrative that integrates the pre- and post-injury self isintegral to recovery following acquired brain injury (ABI). However, individuals maystruggle with deficits in linguistic skills required for narrative, along with reducedfunctioning, feelings of grief, difficulties with cognition, and other communicativechallenges. This mixed-methods study analyzed data gathered from six non-aphasic adultparticipants with ABI during semi-structured interviews and through assessments.Thematic analyses showed that individuals experience a change in their sense of self prevs.post-injury, reflected in their self-narratives, and that even clinically undiagnosedchanges in speech, language, and communication are impactful. Results from linguisticanalysis and assessments suggest a relationship among a persons cognitive capacity,his/her sense of loss, and pre- vs. post-injury narrative of self speech rates. Participantsspoke comparatively slower about their post-injury self, with those participants withhigher feelings of loss showing a reduction in their speech rates comparatively more.Advisors/Committee Members: Huang, Li-Shih (supervisor), Urbanczyk, Suzanne C. (Suzanne Claire) (supervisor).