How the brain recovers language after a stroke
Neural Correlates of Recovery from Aphasia After Stroke
This research follows people with aphasia after stroke to find brain and behavior signs that predict who will regain speech and language.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11364679 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a group of people who recently developed aphasia after a stroke and have regular speech and language tests plus brain scans over the first year. The team combines new participants with an existing group of hundreds of patients to track recovery patterns over time. They look at lesion location, structural MRI, and functional brain activity alongside behavioral measures to see which factors link to better or worse recovery. The goal is to turn these findings into clearer guidance for predicting recovery and guiding therapy choices.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults who recently had a stroke and now have aphasia, especially those able to come to Vanderbilt soon after their stroke, are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without stroke-related aphasia, those well beyond the first year after stroke, or those who cannot undergo MRI scans may not be eligible or directly benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help predict individual recovery paths and guide more personalized speech therapy after stroke.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work, including this group's dataset of 380 patients, has shown that lesion location and surviving language regions relate to recovery, but expanded longitudinal imaging is still needed to improve predictions.
Where this research is happening
Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center — Nashville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: De Riesthal, Michael R — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: De Riesthal, Michael R
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.