Using a portable, clinic-friendly brain scan to map language after stroke
Official title: Concurrent Validity, Test-Retest Reliability, and Sensitivity to Change of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Measuring Language-Related Brain Activity in Post-Stroke Aphasia
Funded at Veterans Health Administration · NIH-11220708 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares a quiet, clinic-friendly brain scanner (fNIRS) with MRI to map language areas and track changes during rehabilitation for people with post-stroke aphasia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2022 |
| Project end | September 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2RX004252-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11220708 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with chronic aphasia after stroke who can follow simple language tasks and are medically stable would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without stroke-related aphasia, those with severe cognitive or medical problems that prevent participation in language tasks, or those unable to attend in-person visits are unlikely to benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would take part in brain imaging sessions using a wearable near-infrared device (fNIRS) while doing natural language tasks, and some participants will also have standard fMRI for comparison. The team will repeat fNIRS scans to check whether the results are stable over time. Participants who receive language therapy will have scans before and after treatment to see if fNIRS detects brain changes linked to recovery. The goal is to show fNIRS works like fMRI for language mapping but is safer, quieter, and easier to use in clinic settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, fNIRS could allow more people with aphasia to get safe, affordable brain mapping and help clinicians track language recovery without needing MRI.
How similar studies have gone: fNIRS has shown promise for brain mapping in other populations, but applying it specifically to language mapping and treatment-related change in post-stroke aphasia is relatively new and not yet widely validated.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Health Administration
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnson, Jeffrey P — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Johnson, Jeffrey P
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
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.
-
Computational modeling of language in bilingual adults after stroke and with neurodegenerative conditions
A computer-based study will model how bilingual Spanish-English speakers experience language changes after stroke and with neurodegenerative disorders, to inform better care for affected patients.
-
Restoring speech with a brain implant for stroke-related aphasia
A study at UC Davis aims to help people who have language trouble after a stroke by using a tiny brain implant to turn brain signals into spoken words.
-
Predicting language recovery after stroke using AI
A new AI-based project uses brain scans and personal data to forecast how aphasia may progress after a stroke, with the goal of guiding personalized treatment.
-
Neural signals of getting speech back after stroke
This grant studies how the brain changes as people recover speech after a stroke, to help predict and improve language recovery.
-
How the brain recovers language after a stroke
This research follows people with aphasia after stroke to find brain and behavior signs that predict who will regain speech and language.
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.