Multimodal communication in adults with acquired brain injury: Advancing theory, methods, and communicative outcomes

Language is multimodal, containing a variety of communicative signals such as speech, gesture, facial expressions, eye gaze, and more. Studying these signals together is critical for advancing our understanding of how people use and comprehend language in the kinds of rich and dynamic contexts that characterize everyday communication. Populations with acquired brain injury provide unique insights into the neural and cognitive resources that support multimodal communication. I present findings from two populations with acquired neurogenic communication disorders: traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease.  With these populations, I discuss the utility of gesture for studying 1) how people process and integrate multiple co-occurring cues in social interaction, 2) how people flexibly adapt and tailor communication for their communication partners, and 3) the role of gesture in learning and memory. I will also highlight methodological advances in the study of multimodal communication and the promising future of these techniques for uncovering the dynamics of social interaction and identifying ways to improve communicative and cognitive outcomes after brain injury.