Verbal learning in aphasic and non-aphasic patients with severe head injuries.

The performances of two groups of patients, one aphasic and one non-aphasic, with severe head injuries, and a control group were compared on tests of: auditory-verbal memory span, rote learning, learning of unrelated words, concrete and abstract, and substance recall. The non-aphasics scored significantly lower than the controls in all tests but substance recall (immediate) and the aphasics did so in all tests. The aphasics were significantly worse on rote learning and learning of unrelated words than patients without aphasia.