Studies in artificial aphasia: experiments in processing change.

Abstract

Computational neurolinguistics, an integrated approach to cognitive modelling of neural processes which may subserve natural language performance, attempts to build computational models that model behavior on two levels: at the neural process level and at the human performance level in its normal state and under pathological conditions. HOPE is one example of such a model. It demonstrates how the design and implementation of such models can provide insights into how a brain-like architecture can produce a behavior as complex as natural language. This paper will briefly describe the neurally motivated or 'natural computation' processes which produce the model's observable and verifiable behavioral results. Experiments with artificially induced aphasia on HOPE will then be described, showing that the results of simulation produce hypothesized patient profiles that are unique. These profiles illustrate the suggested contribution of the computational neurolinguistics research approach as a tool for investigating the breakdown of language performance and its potential contribution to understanding brain function.