Overlap between how we speak and how we hold words in memory
Official title: The overlap of speech production and verbal working memory
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11598542 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Duke-led project studies how the brain that talks relates to keeping verbal information in working memory, using advanced brain recordings from patients already undergoing medical care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $39,445 |
| NIH project number | 3R01NS129703-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11598542 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with neurosurgical conditions who are already undergoing clinical monitoring and consent to participate in brain-recording studies may be eligible.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not undergoing neurosurgical monitoring or who do not consent to brain-recording research would not participate or benefit.
What this research studies
This project builds on a prior study to examine the shared brain systems for speech production and verbal working memory. It uses direct intracranial recordings with high-density micro-electrocorticography to observe brain activity in neurosurgical patients. The administrative supplement focuses on organizing and standardizing the growing data, expanding storage and computing capacity, and applying new data-sharing standards to make results reusable. No new scientific aims are added; the work remains within the approved plan of the parent award. The effort addresses increased costs and data-management needs arising from larger, richer datasets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could improve understanding of speech and memory processes, potentially informing therapies for speech disorders and cognitive communication deficits.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown meaningful insights from direct brain recordings about speech and memory, with ongoing advances in data-sharing standards.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cogan, Gregory B — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Cogan, Gregory B
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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.