Narrative writing in patients with low-grade glioma - using keystroke logging to investigate differences in the writing process before and after tumour resection

• The aim of this study was to investigate the writing process, using a keystroke logging program, in narratives written by patients with LGG and to compare the patients’ writing processes and products three months after tumour resection with their pre-operative performance. Twenty consecutive patients scheduled for tumour resection at Sahlgrenska University Hospital wrote to a picture-elicited narrative before and at three months follow-up using the keystroke logging program, ScriptLog (Frid, J., Johansson, V., Johansson, R., Wengelin, Å., & Johansson, M., 2014). After surgery there was a significant decline in production rate, i.e. words produced per minute. An analysis of pause distribution in different micro contexts revealed a significant increase of pauses before initiating the typing of a word. The decline in production rate suggests an increase in cognitive effort in narrative writing for patients who have undergone surgical treatment for LGG. The analysis of pause distribution indicates lexical retrieval difficulties. Investigation of the writing process can give information about subtle changes in language and cognitive processing for patients undergoing tumour resection.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Oto-rhino-laryngologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Otorhinolaryngology (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

kon (subject category)