Cerebellar stimulation to help speech after stroke
Official title: Cerebellar stimulation for Aphasia Rehabilitation
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11393141 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Johns Hopkins study tests whether applying gentle electrical stimulation to the cerebellum, when paired with speech therapy, can improve language skills in people who have aphasia after a stroke.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $740,758 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC019639-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11393141 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with post-stroke aphasia who are candidates for speech and language therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Some individuals may not benefit due to stroke severity, other medical conditions, or intolerance to stimulation.
What this research studies
This project tests a noninvasive brain stimulation approach called cerebellar tDCS alongside standard speech and language therapy for people with post-stroke aphasia. It uses a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled design to determine if stimulating the right cerebellum enhances treatment benefits. Participants will receive 15 sessions of stimulation paired with SLT and will be compared to a placebo stimulation group. If successful, this could help more people regain communication abilities after stroke.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with aphasia after stroke may experience better language recovery and easier communication.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary findings suggest safety and potential benefit of cerebellar stimulation for language, with larger trials needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sebastian, Rajani — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Sebastian, Rajani
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Communication Bridge: Improving language therapy for people with primary progressive aphasia
A proven language-therapy program called Communication Bridge helps people with primary progressive aphasia improve and maintain how they communicate with others.
-
Neural signals linked to recovery from aphasia after stroke
This grant follows people who recently had a stroke and aphasia to understand why some recover language abilities better than others.
-
Bilingualism and language resilience in Hispanic people with primary progressive aphasia
Researchers compare different bilingual experiences to see how they relate to language decline and thinking skills in Hispanic adults with primary progressive aphasia.
-
Functional reorganization of language and general brain networks in aphasia
This project studies how language areas and general brain networks work together to help people recover language after a stroke, by looking at brain activity and responses to language tasks.
-
eSANA: revealing and improving AAC use after stroke for aphasia
A project to explore how people with aphasia after a stroke can best use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) during early rehabilitation.
-
Cortical Organization of Syntax in Aphasia
A patient-facing study to understand how brain injury affects sentence structure and help people with aphasia communicate more clearly.
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.