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Abstract

There is substantial evidence of an association between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and language difficulties, particularly those related to cognitive impairment. Addressing an underexplored narrative perspective, this study examines the interaction between memory and language in the representation of cognitive-communication disorder (CCD) following TBI in the film The Vow (2012). Using a qualitative approach informed by Clinical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the study analyzes selected dialogues to identify post-traumatic cognitive-communication difficulties reflected in language comprehension and production. The findings reveal a dissociation between relatively preserved linguistic competence and impaired communicative performance. In language comprehension, this dissociation is reflected in pragmatic misinterpretation, narrative sequencing difficulties, and contextual disorientation associated with disrupted access to autobiographical memory. In language production, recurrent patterns of high latency, filler overuse, syntactic repetition, and aggressive overlap indicate increased processing demands and the use of compensatory strategies to manage cognitive load. The analysis further suggests that post-traumatic identity reconstruction is represented as an interactional achievement supported by collaborative narratives that function as discursive scaffolding, while their acceptance is mediated by emotional resonance and a sense of psychological safety. These findings highlight the potential of narrative corpora as complementary qualitative materials for psycholinguistic inquiry into the relationships among language, memory, interaction, and identity, while acknowledging the limitations of scripted cinematic discourse.

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