Sentence Production Training in Aphasia

Over five years, the investigators will conduct a series of studies to develop a novel intervention strategy for improving sentence production and comprehension in persons with aphasia. Specifically, the investigators will use implicit learning of grammar as a novel facilitator for language recovery in aphasia. The planned studies seek to test the hypothesis that implicit learning alters the central language system in PWA, creating lasting and generalized improvements in both sentence production and comprehension. Aim 1 will determine the extent to which different learning conditions modulate immediate and long-term improvement in sentence production. The investigators integrate multiple theories of language learning and apply them to make predictions about the trajectory of priming-induced learning in PWA. In Aim 2, using a set of eyetracking and sentence comprehension tasks, it will be investigated whether the effects of priming in production generalize to off-line (accuracy) and on-line (eye fixations) sentence comprehension and determine which learning conditions result in greater cross-modality generalization. In Aim 3, the investigators will develop and establish Phase I efficacy data of an implicit priming treatment, incorporating the crucial learning conditions supporting maximal retention from Aims 1 and 2. The project will recruit both individuals with aphasia and without aphasia.

Inclusion criteria

• Individuals with post-stroke aphasia
• At least 6 months post-onset of eft hemisphere stroke
• Native speaker of English
• Normal or corrected to normal hearing and vision
• High-school educated
• Difficulty communicating in sentences, with some ability to use words independently

Exclusion criteria

• Severe apraxia of speech
• Other neurological conditions affecting communication (e.g., dementia)
• Uncontrolled psychiatric/psychological conditions affecting thinking and communication
• Active alcohol/substance abuse