Understanding how stroke affects reading ability
Official title: Investigating functional changes to the visual word form system in post-stroke alexia
Funded at Georgetown University · NIH-11071450 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how strokes affect the brain areas that help us read, especially focusing on a part called the visual word form area, to understand how damage can change reading abilities in people who have trouble reading after a stroke.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgetown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project start | August 2, 2024 |
| Project end | August 1, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $36,274 |
| NIH project number | 1F31DC022513-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11071450 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who have experienced a stroke and are facing challenges with reading, known as alexia.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not had a stroke or do not experience reading difficulties will likely not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how strokes impact the brain areas responsible for reading, particularly focusing on the visual word form area (VWFA) and its connection to language processing regions. It aims to understand how damage to language networks can lead to changes in the VWFA, potentially affecting reading abilities in individuals with post-stroke alexia. By using advanced imaging techniques, the study will explore the relationship between these brain changes and the reading deficits experienced by stroke survivors. The findings could provide insights into recovery mechanisms and inform rehabilitation strategies for those affected.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved rehabilitation techniques for individuals recovering from stroke-related reading difficulties.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that understanding brain plasticity and recovery mechanisms can lead to significant advancements in rehabilitation for stroke survivors, indicating potential success for this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Georgetown University
Washington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dyslin, Sara Marie — Georgetown University
- Study coordinator: Dyslin, Sara Marie
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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.