How bilingualism may help improve cognitive control in patients with aphasia
Official title: Bilingualism as a cognitive reserve factor: the behavioral and neural underpinnings of cognitive control in bilingual patients with aphasia
Funded at Boston University (Charles River Campus) · NIH-10947073 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how being bilingual might help people with aphasia, especially after a stroke, to think and focus better than those who only speak one language, using special brain imaging tools to see how their brains work during tasks.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University (Charles River Campus) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $39,172 |
| NIH project number | 5F31DC021385-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10947073 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are bilingual individuals who have experienced aphasia due to brain injuries or strokes.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are monolingual or do not have aphasia may not receive direct benefits from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how being bilingual can enhance cognitive control in patients with aphasia, particularly after brain injuries like strokes. It aims to understand the behavioral and neural mechanisms that allow bilingual individuals to perform better than monolinguals in cognitive tasks. The study employs advanced imaging techniques such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG) to assess brain activity while participants engage in cognitive tasks in more natural settings. By comparing bilingual and monolingual patients, the research seeks to identify factors that contribute to cognitive resilience in the face of neurological challenges.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved cognitive rehabilitation strategies for patients with aphasia, enhancing their recovery and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results regarding the cognitive advantages of bilingualism, suggesting that this approach may yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston University (Charles River Campus)
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Carpenter, Erin — Boston University (Charles River Campus)
- Study coordinator: Carpenter, Erin
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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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.