Verbal and deverbal noun production in Slovene native speakers with Alzheimer's disease : doctoral thesis

Roumpea, Georgia (author), Manouilidou, Christina (mentor)

The primary motivation for the current dissertation is to investigate Deverbal Nouns (DVNs) in Slovene-speaking individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The investigation focuses on exploring how the complex morphology of DVNs can affect derivation, naming, and lexical processing (acceptability judgment and lexical decision) in AD, given the underlying cognitive impairment of the population. A derivation task, a picture-naming task, an acceptability judgment task (AJT), and a lexical-decision task (LDT) were designed. 18 healthy controls, 4 mild−to−moderate AD and 4 undefined dementia individuals participated in the study. The materials consisted of agent (bralec “reader”) and process (branje “reading”) DVNs, and pseudowords that violated categorial (*čokoladec), thematic (*ljubilec), and aspectual (*prebranje, *storjenje) restrictions on the formation of DVNs. The results from the derivation task revealed a preserved ability to derive DVNs. The picture-naming task revealed difficulties in naming agent-DVNs and process-DVNs. Impaired lexical processing of DVNs was observed in the AJT and in the LDT. In the LDT, categorial constraints were easier to detect compared to the aspectual ones. Executive dysfunction might have interfered with naming and lexical processing of DVNs in AD. The current thesis also investigates the efficacy of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation treatment in improving naming and lexical processing in mild and moderate AD. A sham-controlled, single-blind study was designed, where high-frequency (10 Hz) rTMS was applied over the left (15 sessions) and right (15 sessions) Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC). The findings showed facilitated naming and lexical processing in mild AD with the effect persisting up to two months post-treatment. No treatment effect was observed in moderate AD. The current findings have implications for our understanding of the nature of language deficits in AD, thereby potentially informing the development of more effective diagnostic tools. The clinical implications relate to designing intervention protocols aimed at delaying the onset of, and/or reducing language impairments in individuals with AD.

• Language: English
• Keywords: deverbal nouns, Alzheimer's disease, transcranial magnetic stimulation, naming, lexical processing
• Work type: Dissertation
• Typology: 2.08 - Doctoral Dissertation
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Place of publishing: Ljubljana
• Publisher: [G. Roumpea]
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: XVI, 220 str.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-190181
• UDC: 81'373.611:616.894(043.3)
• COBISS.SI-ID: 291492099
• Publication date in RUL: 23.10.2026

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Tvorba glagolov in izglagolskih samostalnikov pri rojenih govorcih slovenščine z Alzheimerjevo boleznijo

Abstract

Primarna motivacija disertacije je raziskovanje izglagolskih samostalnikov (IS) pri slovensko govorečih posameznikih z Alzheimerjevo boleznijo (AB). Naloga se osredotoča na raziskovanje, kako lahko kompleksna morfologija IS vpliva na izpeljavo, poimenovanje, presojo sprejemljivosti in leksikalne odločitve (v nadaljevanju leksikalna obdelava) pri AB, glede na osnovno kognitivno okvaro populacije. Zasnovali smo nalogo poimenovanja slik, nalogo presoje sprejemljivosti (PS) ter nalogo leksikalnega odločanja (LO). V študiji je sodelovalo 18 zdravih kontrol, 4 posamezniki z blago do zmerno AB in 4 posamezniki z nedefinirano demenco. Gradivo so sestavljali vršilci dejanja (angl. agent) 'bralec »reader«' in procesi 'branje »reading«' IS ter psevdobesede, ki kršijo kategorične *čokoladec in tematske *ljubilec omejitve formacije IS in kršitve v glagolskega vida *prebranje, *storjenje. Rezultati naloge so pokazali ohranjeno sposobnost formacije IS. Naloga poimenovanja slike je razkrila težave pri priklicu vršilcev dejanja IS in procesov IS. Oslabljena leksikalna obdelava IS je bila opažena v nalogah PS in LO. Pri LO so bile restrikcije kategorije bolje ohranjene v primerjavi z restrikcijami glagolskega vida. Izvršna disfunkcija je morda ovirala sposobnost udeležencev, da poimenujejo in leksikalno obdelajo IS. V pričujoči disertaciji raziskujemo tudi učinkovitost ponavljajoče transkranialne magnetne stimulacije za izboljšanje poimenovanja in leksikalne obdelave pri blagi in zmerni AB. Zasnovana je bila slepa zasnova študije, nadzorovana s kontrolno sham skupino, v kateri je bil uporabljen visokofrekvenčni (10 Hz) rTMS na levem (15 sej) in desnem (15 sej) dorzolateralnem prefrontalnem korteksu (DLPFC). Ugotovitve so pokazale olajšano poimenovanje in leksikalno obdelavo pri blagi AB z učinkom, ki traja do dva meseca po zdravljenju. Pri zmerni AB učinek ni bil opažen. Trenutne ugotovitve imajo velik pomen v psiholingvistiki, saj doprinašajo novo znanje o razumevanju narave jezikovnih primanjkljajev pri AB in pomagajo pri razvoju učinkovitejših diagnostičnih orodij. Klinični pomen pa se nanaša na oblikovanje intervencijskih protokolov, namenjenih zakasnitvi ali izboljšanju jezikovnih okvar pri posameznikih z AB.

• Keywords: izglagolski samostalniki, Alzheimerjeva bolezen, transkranialna magnetna stimulacija, poimenovanje, leksikalna obdelava, osebe z Alzheimerjevo boleznijo, oblikoslovje, morfologija (jezikoslovje)