How the brain supports reading after stroke and as we age
Brain networks for reading in stroke alexia and typical aging
This project looks at how stroke damage and normal aging change the brain networks that let people read, to better understand why reading problems happen.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgetown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11178597 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will enroll people who lost reading ability after stroke (alexia) and older adults with typical reading to compare them. Participants will complete detailed tests of reading skills while researchers collect advanced brain scans using multiple imaging methods. The team will apply a new model called RISS that links reading to speech and meaning networks to pinpoint which damaged connections cause specific reading problems. They will also study how injured pathways might be restored or how uninjured pathways help people recover.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults who have difficulty reading following a stroke and older adults without stroke who can serve as comparison participants.
Not a fit: People whose reading issues are from developmental conditions (like childhood dyslexia), progressive neurodegenerative diseases, or who cannot undergo MRI may not benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more accurate diagnosis of reading problems after stroke and more targeted rehabilitation strategies to help people regain reading ability.
How similar studies have performed: Prior small lesion-mapping studies have linked brain damage to reading deficits but were limited; this larger, multimodal approach builds on those findings and is relatively novel for this question.
Where this research is happening
Washington, United States
- Georgetown University — Washington, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Turkeltaub, Peter Ethan — Georgetown University
- Study coordinator: Turkeltaub, Peter Ethan
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.