Improving how we assess attention in people with aphasia
Official title: Optimizing the assessment of auditory attention in aphasia
Funded at Purdue University · NIH-11006277 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking to create a quick and easy test to help people with aphasia better focus on sounds, which is really important for their recovery and treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Purdue University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (West Lafayette, United States) |
| Project start | January 5, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $189,848 |
| NIH project number | 5R21DC021481-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11006277 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults experiencing aphasia due to stroke or other neurological conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with aphasia not caused by neurological conditions or those without significant cognitive deficits may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on enhancing the assessment of auditory attention in individuals with aphasia, a condition that affects language and cognitive abilities. The study aims to develop and validate a tool called the Attention Network Test (ANT), which measures different types of attention in a brief 5-10 minute task. By addressing cognitive deficits, particularly in auditory attention, the research seeks to improve treatment outcomes for patients with aphasia, as attention is a key factor in recovery. The approach emphasizes the importance of assessing auditory attention, which is often overlooked but critical for effective rehabilitation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better treatment strategies for individuals with aphasia, enhancing their recovery and communication abilities.
How similar studies have gone: While the ANT has been used primarily for visuospatial attention, this research is exploring its application in auditory attention, making it a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Purdue University
West Lafayette, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lacroix, Arianna — Purdue University
- Study coordinator: Lacroix, Arianna
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
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.
-
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.