How brain aging relates to aphasia after stroke
Brain Age in Aphasia
This project looks at whether a brain's 'age' measured from MRI helps explain language problems in people living with chronic aphasia after stroke.
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 ID | NIH-11160780 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your point of view, researchers will collect brain scans and language test results from people with chronic aphasia after stroke. They will use a machine-learning 'brain age' method on MRI images to see if some brains look older than the person's years. The team will compare brain age to language abilities while accounting for stroke lesion details, demographics, and cognitive status. The goal is to find whether premature brain aging helps explain why some people have worse or longer-lasting aphasia.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people living with chronic aphasia after a stroke who can complete language testing and undergo MRI scanning.
Not a fit: People without stroke-related aphasia, those in the very acute stage of stroke, or those unable to have MRI scans are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help predict who is likely to have more severe or persistent aphasia and guide more personalized rehabilitation plans.
How similar studies have performed: Related brain-age methods have shown links to cardiovascular risk and cognition in prior studies, and the team’s preliminary work found premature brain aging is common in stroke survivors with aphasia, but applying it specifically to explain aphasia severity is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Columbia, United States
- University of South Carolina at Columbia — Columbia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bonilha, Leonardo F — University of South Carolina at Columbia
- Study coordinator: Bonilha, Leonardo F
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.