ReadMap: Reading in Stroke Alexia and Typical Aging
Purpose
Loss of reading ability due to stroke, called alexia, likely affects over a million Americans at any given time and causes difficulty performing many daily life functions, such as paying bills, using email/text, reading for pleasure, and reading signs in the community. Understanding the brain and cognitive basis of alexia could improve diagnosis and treatment of this important problem. In this study, the investigators will perform a large-scale behavioral and brain imaging study of stroke survivors and typical older adults to improve our understanding of the brain and cognitive basis of reading in both of these groups. Participants will complete a battery of tests of reading, speech, language, and thinking abilities. In addition, some participants will complete an MRI. Sessions will be completed across approximately 2-6 weeks, but may be extended depending on participants' schedules and availability. Some participants will be invited to repeat these procedures once or twice in approximately 3-12 months to monitor for changes in reading abilities and MRI measurements over time.
Conditions
- Aphasia
- Stroke
- Alexia
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Over 18 Years
- Eligible Genders
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
Stroke Survivors: - Age >= 18 - Learned English at 8 years or younger - Brain injury resulting from stroke Controls: - Age >= 18 - Learned English at 8 years or younger
Exclusion Criteria
for all groups: - History of other brain disorder that could interfere with our ability to interpret results (e.g., Multiple sclerosis, dementia, head injury causing loss of consciousness) - Severe psychiatric condition that would interfere with participation in the study - History of diagnosed learning disorder - Hearing or vision loss that interferes with performance on behavioral tests even after correction with glasses/hearing aids. - Inability to follow study procedures despite maximal support Additional exclusion criteria for MRIs: - Presence of metal in the body that is incompatible with MRI - Pregnancy - Claustrophobia
Study Design
- Phase
- Study Type
- Observational
- Observational Model
- Case-Control
- Time Perspective
- Prospective
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
| Stroke Survivors | Participants have had a left-hemisphere stroke, or a stroke elsewhere in the brain causing aphasia or alexia (i.e., reading difficulties). They are given a series of standardized and in-house tests of reading, language and cognition to provide a detailed profile of strengths and weaknesses, plus an MRI. | |
| Controls | Participants are matched to the stroke cohort in age, educational background, race, and gender but have no history of brain injury. They are also given a series of standardized and in-house tests of reading, language and cognition to provide a detailed profile of strengths and weaknesses, plus an MRI. |
Recruiting Locations
Washington, District of Columbia 20057
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- Georgetown University