Understanding Language Recovery in Bilingual People with Aphasia

Language-specific and language-general mechanisms in bilingual aphasic individuals

['FUNDING_OTHER'] · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY · NIH-11110348

This project aims to understand how the brains of bilingual people organize and use their languages, especially after a brain injury that causes aphasia.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_OTHER']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorNEW YORK UNIVERSITY (nih funded)
Locations1 site (NEW YORK, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11110348 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

Many people around the world speak more than one language, but we don't fully understand how their brains manage these languages, especially after a brain injury like a stroke. This lack of knowledge makes it hard to plan the best treatments to help bilingual individuals recover their language skills. This project will bring together bilingual people who have aphasia and healthy bilingual individuals to learn more about how languages are organized and interact in the brain. By using behavioral tasks and brain imaging (fMRI), researchers hope to find better ways to help bilingual patients regain their ability to communicate.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates would be Spanish-English bilingual individuals, both those with aphasia due to brain damage and healthy bilingual individuals.

Not a fit: Patients who speak only one language or whose aphasia is not related to brain damage may not directly benefit from this specific research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to improved therapies and surgical planning for bilingual individuals experiencing language difficulties after brain damage.

How similar studies have performed: Research on bilingualism and aphasia is an area with a recognized knowledge gap, suggesting this approach is addressing a novel and critical need.

Where this research is happening

NEW YORK, 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.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Conditions: Acquired brain injury

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 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.