Psycholinguistic Assessment of Language Processing in Aphasia [PALPA-60]

Description

The Psycholinguistic Assessment of Language Processing in Aphasia (PALPA-60) is a comprehensive assessment tool designed to evaluate language processing impairments in adults with acquired aphasia. It helps identify specific difficulties involving phonological, semantic, and syntactic processing and can support clinical assessment and rehabilitation planning.

Structure and Purpose

Developed by Kay, Lesser, and Coltheart (1992), PALPA consists of 60 subtests covering five major linguistic domains: phonology, orthography, semantics, morphology, and syntax. Administration is selective and can be adapted to the individual’s specific language difficulties.

Its primary purpose is to develop a detailed profile of preserved and impaired language-processing abilities, supporting both clinical decision-making and research in cognitive neuropsychology.

Scoring and Analysis

Most subtests use binary scoring (0 or 1), together with the calculation of correct-response percentages and qualitative analysis of errors.

The available material reports internal consistency coefficients ranging from α = 0.78 to 0.92, test-retest reliability of r = 0.85, and inter-rater reliability of κ = 0.91.

References

Kay J, Lesser R, Coltheart M. PALPA: Psycholinguistic Assessments of Language Processing in Aphasia. Psychology Press; 1992.

Tags: PALPA-60, Aphasia, Psycholinguistics, Language Processing, Cognitive Neuropsychology, Phonology, Semantics, Language Assessment