Cortical Organization of Syntax in Aphasia
Official title: The Cortical Organization of Syntax: Insights into Grammatical Deficits in Aphasia
Funded at University of South Carolina at Columbia · NIH-11448593 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-facing study to understand how brain injury affects sentence structure and help people with aphasia communicate more clearly.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Carolina at Columbia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbia, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $512,640 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DC023216-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11448593 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with post-stroke aphasia or other acquired brain injuries affecting language.
✕Less likely to help
People without aphasia or those not seeking language rehabilitation may not benefit from this study.
What this research studies
This grant explores how the brain organizes grammar after a stroke and how different brain areas contribute to speaking and understanding complex sentences. Researchers will use brain imaging and language tests to map where syntax problems come from and how they relate to memory and meaning. The work aims to build better strategies to improve fluent, accurate speech for people living with aphasia.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to clearer speech therapies that directly target syntax in aphasia.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has linked brain regions to grammar and sentence processing, with ongoing efforts to translate findings into therapy.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Carolina at Columbia
Columbia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Matchin, William Gerald — University of South Carolina at Columbia
- Study coordinator: Matchin, William Gerald
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.
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Music-based intervention to help people with aphasia recover language and thinking skills after stroke
A Purdue-led study tests whether listening to music can help adults with aphasia after a stroke improve language and thinking abilities.
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.