Brain-wave testing to pinpoint listening challenges in aphasia
Reliability and validity of temporal response function modeling in aphasia
This project uses EEG while people with aphasia listen to natural speech to identify which sound and word cues their brains track.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Houston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11249235 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You will listen to continuous, natural speech while we record your brain activity with EEG. We apply temporal response function (TRF) modeling to link features of the speech—like spectrotemporal patterns and word-level cues—to your EEG responses. Because you won't need to give spoken or button-press answers, the test measures listening with less extra thinking or memory load. The team will check whether these brain-based measures are reliable and reflect real comprehension problems so they could help target therapy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults with stroke-related aphasia who can sit through EEG recordings and listen to spoken stories in English.
Not a fit: People without aphasia, those with uncorrected severe hearing loss, or those unable to undergo EEG (for example due to implanted medical devices) likely would not benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could create objective brain-based tests that identify specific listening deficits and help clinicians tailor speech therapy.
How similar studies have performed: TRF and EEG methods have shown promise in healthy listeners and some language studies, but applying and validating them specifically in people with aphasia is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- University of Houston — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dial, Heather — University of Houston
- Study coordinator: Dial, Heather
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.