Author: Baylor College of Medicine

Thank you for your interest in our research project. Sometimes, after an individual has a stroke they experience difficulties with their speech and language. One of the difficulties that can occur is called agrammatism, which is part of a symptom complex known as Broca’s aphasia. The syndrome of agrammatism is a form of language impairment that affects sentence processing and results from acquired brain damage. An individual with agrammatism has difficulties understanding and using appropriate grammar and syntax while speaking, listening, reading, and/or writing. In our study, we are interested in investigating ways to help rehabilitate individuals with agrammatism. We believe that the type of therapy and how it is provided may have an impact on the effectiveness of the treatment.

Selection Criteria

Participants eligible for the study must have suffered a unilateral left-hemisphere stroke as indicated by CT and/or MRI studies. They must have been right-handed before the stroke and be a native English speaker. The participant should have difficulty speaking and no history of neurological impairment prior to the stroke. Also, the Participant should not have severe sensory deficits in the areas of vision and hearing. Participants should not currently be receiving speech/language rehabilitation services.

How Much Commitment is Involved?

Each participant will undergo a 3 hour speech/language screening to find out if he or she has specific deficits in thematic role assignment in sentence production. If a deficit is determined, the participant will be randomly assigned to two of four possible treatments. The two treatments will be provided sequentially, and will require attendance in speech-language therapy three to four times per week. Each session will last 1 1/2 hours. Each type of treatment will run approximately five to seven weeks, depending on the frequency of therapy sessions per week. A period of testing will occur between each treatment, at the completion of the study, and one-month post termination of treatment. Completion of the entire study should take between four to six months.

What Benefits Will the Individual Receive for Participating?

There are no guarantees that participants will benefit from this study, but preliminary data suggest that patients may benefit from any or all of the proposed interventions in the form of improved communication and continued opportunities for social interaction. All services are provided free of charge. Subjects may be reimbursed up to $10.00 per visit for parking/travel expenses. In addition, the participant will be contributing to our understanding of the rehabilitation of sentence production.

How Do I Enroll in the Project?

All interested should contact Lynn M. Maher, Ph.D. at 713-798-7451. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have about the project. We look forward to speaking with you. We would greatly appreciate your involvement!

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