Bilingualism and language resilience in Hispanic adults with primary progressive aphasia
Bilingual Factors Associated with Cognitive Reserve and Linguistic Resilience in Hispanics with Primary Progressive Aphasia
This project will learn how different bilingual experiences affect thinking and language skills in Hispanic adults with primary progressive aphasia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas at Austin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Austin, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285140 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will collect detailed language histories (which language you learned first, how well you speak each language, how often you use them, and when you learned them) and give standardized tests of thinking and language across different language areas. They will compare how a person’s first and second languages change over time in people with primary progressive aphasia to find patterns of resilience or decline. The team is focusing on Hispanic individuals to reflect sociocultural and linguistic differences that past studies often missed. Other factors such as age and education will be considered to help separate bilingual effects from other influences on thinking and language.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are Hispanic adults diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia who speak more than one language (for example, Spanish and English).
Not a fit: People who are monolingual, do not have primary progressive aphasia, or whose language background is not Hispanic/Latinx may not be eligible or directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help predict which language will stay stronger and guide more personalized communication therapies for bilingual people with PPA.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has suggested bilingualism can delay dementia in some cases, but results are mixed and studies specifically on bilingual primary progressive aphasia in Hispanic groups are limited.
Where this research is happening
Austin, United States
- University of Texas at Austin — Austin, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Grasso, Stephanie M — University of Texas at Austin
- Study coordinator: Grasso, Stephanie M
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.