Language and social understanding after right‑brain stroke

Recovery of language and theory of mind after stroke

NIH-funded research University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston · NIH-11140441

This project aims to help people who have had a right‑hemisphere stroke regain everyday language skills and the ability to understand what others mean in conversation.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Houston, United States)
Project IDNIH-11140441 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If I join, researchers will follow my language and social thinking from the first days after a right‑hemisphere stroke through later recovery stages. They will give language and conversation tasks that include sarcasm, humor, and metaphors, test understanding of emotional tone and nonverbal cues, and collect brain scans. The team will also gather information about my daily communication and quality of life. The work links brain damage patterns to real‑world communication problems to guide better therapies.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults who have had a right‑hemisphere stroke and who have trouble with conversation, understanding others' intentions, or processing emotional tone, at acute or chronic stages.

Not a fit: People whose communication problems are due to classic left‑hemisphere aphasia or who do not have social‑communication difficulties are unlikely to benefit from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Could lead to targeted speech‑language approaches that improve conversational skills, social interactions, and quality of life after right‑hemisphere stroke.

How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have shown links between right‑brain damage and social‑communication problems, but interventions focused on theory‑of‑mind deficits after right‑hemisphere stroke are relatively limited and this approach is somewhat novel.

Where this research is happening

Houston, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired brain injury
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.