Overview
Background
I am a cognitive neuroscientist with a research focus on the neural basis of language. My research is focused on three related questions:
- How is language processed in the brain?
- How does brain damage affect language processing in individuals with aphasia, i.e. acquired language disorders?
- What brain mechanisms support the recovery of language processing in people with aphasia who improve over time?
To address these questions, my lab studies individuals with aphasia, as well as healthy participants with normal language, using a range of state-of-the-art functional and structural neuroimaging techniques. We combine our multimodal imaging approach with comprehensive language assessments designed to quantify deficits in different components of the language processing system, such as syntactic structure, word meanings, and the selection and assembly of speech sounds.
Availability
- Associate Professor Stephen Wilson is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Research interests
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Aphasia
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Language and the brain
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Cognitive neuroscience
Works
Search Professor Stephen Wilson’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Journal Article
Four dimensions of naturalistic language production in aphasia after stroke
Casilio, Marianne, Kasdan, Anna V, Bryan, Katherine, Shibata, Kiiya, Schneck, Sarah M, Levy, Deborah F, Entrup, Jillian L, Onuscheck, Caitlin, de Riesthal, Michael and Wilson, Stephen M (2024). Four dimensions of naturalistic language production in aphasia after stroke. Brain, 148 (1), 291-312. doi: 10.1093/brain/awae195
2024
Journal Article
Discriminating nonfluent/agrammatic and logopenic PPA variants with automatically extracted morphosyntactic measures from connected speech
Lukic, Sladjana, Fan, Zekai, García, Adolfo M., Welch, Ariane E., Ratnasiri, Buddhika M., Wilson, Stephen M., Henry, Maya L., Vonk, Jet, Deleon, Jessica, Miller, Bruce L., Miller, Zachary, Mandelli, Maria Luisa and Gorno-Tempini, Maria Luisa (2024). Discriminating nonfluent/agrammatic and logopenic PPA variants with automatically extracted morphosyntactic measures from connected speech. Cortex, 173, 34-48. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.12.013
2024
Journal Article
Situating word deafness within aphasia recovery: a case report
Casilio, Marianne, Kasdan, Anna V., Schneck, Sarah M., Entrup, Jillian L., Levy, Deborah F., Crouch, Kelly and Wilson, Stephen M. (2024). Situating word deafness within aphasia recovery: a case report. Cortex, 173, 96-119. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.12.012
2024
Journal Article
Multivariate lesion symptom mapping for predicting trajectories of recovery from aphasia
Levy, Deborah F., Entrup, Jillian L., Schneck, Sarah M., Onuscheck, Caitlin F., Rahman, Maysaa, Kasdan, Anna, Casilio, Marianne, Willey, Emma, Davis, L Taylor, de Riesthal, Michael, Kirshner, Howard S. and Wilson, Stephen M. (2024). Multivariate lesion symptom mapping for predicting trajectories of recovery from aphasia. Brain Communications, 6 (1) fcae024, fcae024. doi: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae024
2023
Journal Article
Leukoaraiosis Is Not Associated With Recovery From Aphasia in the First Year After Stroke
Brito, Alexandra C., Levy, Deborah F., Schneck, Sarah M., Entrup, Jillian L., Onuscheck, Caitlin F., Casilio, Marianne, de Riesthal, Michael, Davis, L. Taylor and Wilson, Stephen M. (2023). Leukoaraiosis Is Not Associated With Recovery From Aphasia in the First Year After Stroke. Neurobiology of Language, 4 (4), 536-549. doi: 10.1162/nol_a_00115
2023
Journal Article
Leukoaraiosis is not associated with recovery from aphasia in the first year after stroke
Brito, Alexandra C., Levy, Deborah F., Schneck, Sarah M., Entrup, Jillian L., Onuscheck, Caitlin F., Casilio, Marianne, de Riesthal, Michael, Davis, L. Taylor and Wilson, Stephen M. (2023). Leukoaraiosis is not associated with recovery from aphasia in the first year after stroke. Neurobiology of Language, 4 (4), 536-549. doi: 10.1162/nol_a_00115
2023
Journal Article
Modality-Specificity of the Neural Correlates of Linguistic and Non-Linguistic Demand
Philips, Mackenzie, Schneck, Sarah M., Levy, Deborah F. and Wilson, Stephen M. (2023). Modality-Specificity of the Neural Correlates of Linguistic and Non-Linguistic Demand. Neurobiology of Language, 4 (4), 516-535. doi: 10.1162/nol_a_00114
2023
Journal Article
Evaluating syntactic comprehension during awake intraoperative cortical stimulation mapping
Riva, Marco, Wilson, Stephen M., Cai, Ruofan, Castellano, Antonella, Jordan, Kesshi M., Henry, Roland G., Tempini, Maria Luisa Gorno, Berger, Mitchel S. and Chang, Edward F. (2023). Evaluating syntactic comprehension during awake intraoperative cortical stimulation mapping. Journal of Neurosurgery, 138 (5), 1403-1410. doi: 10.3171/2022.8.jns221335
2023
Journal Article
Apraxia of speech with phonological alexia and agraphia following resection of the left middle precentral gyrus: illustrative case
Levy, Deborah F., Silva, Alexander B., Scott, Terri L., Liu, Jessie R., Harper, Sarah, Zhao, Lingyun, Hullett, Patrick W., Kurteff, Garret, Wilson, Stephen M., Leonard, Matthew K. and Chang, Edward F. (2023). Apraxia of speech with phonological alexia and agraphia following resection of the left middle precentral gyrus: illustrative case. Journal of Neurosurgery: Case Lessons, 5 (13) CASE22504, 13. doi: 10.3171/case22504
2023
Journal Article
Dissociation of Broca's area from Broca's aphasia in patients undergoing neurosurgical resections
Andrews, John P., Cahn, Nathan, Speidel, Benjamin A., Chung, Jason E., Levy, Deborah F., Wilson, Stephen M., Chang, Edward F. and Berger, Mitchel S. (2023). Dissociation of Broca's area from Broca's aphasia in patients undergoing neurosurgical resections. Journal of Neurosurgery, 138 (3), 847-857. doi: 10.3171/2022.6.jns2297
2022
Journal Article
Baseline structural imaging correlates of treatment outcomes in semantic variant primary progressive aphasia
Dial, Heather R., Europa, Eduardo, Grasso, Stephanie M., Mandelli, Maria Luisa, Schaffer, Kristin M., Hubbard, H. Isabel, Wauters, Lisa D., Wineholt, Lindsey, Wilson, Stephen M., Gorno-Tempini, Maria Luisa and Henry, Maya L. (2022). Baseline structural imaging correlates of treatment outcomes in semantic variant primary progressive aphasia. Cortex, 158, 158-175. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.10.004
2022
Journal Article
An Open Dataset of Connected Speech in Aphasia with Consensus Ratings of Auditory-Perceptual Features
Ezzes, Zoe, Schneck, Sarah M., Casilio, Marianne, Fromm, Davida, Mefferd, Antje S., de Riesthal, Michael and Wilson, Stephen M. (2022). An Open Dataset of Connected Speech in Aphasia with Consensus Ratings of Auditory-Perceptual Features. Data, 7 (11) 148, 148. doi: 10.3390/data7110148
2022
Journal Article
Designing and implementing a community aphasia group: an illustrative case study of the Aphasia Group of Middle Tennessee
Levy, Deborah F., Kasdan, Anna V., Bryan, Katherine M., Wilson, Stephen M., de Riesthal, Michael and Herrington, Dominique P. (2022). Designing and implementing a community aphasia group: an illustrative case study of the Aphasia Group of Middle Tennessee. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 7 (5), 1301-1311. doi: 10.1044/2022_persp-22-00006
2022
Journal Article
Adaptive language mapping paradigms for presurgical language mapping
Diachek, E., Morgan, V. L. and Wilson, S. M. (2022). Adaptive language mapping paradigms for presurgical language mapping. American Journal of Neuroradiology, 43 (10), 1453-1459. doi: 10.3174/ajnr.a7629
2022
Journal Article
Identifying a brain network for musical rhythm: a functional neuroimaging meta-analysis and systematic review
Kasdan, Anna, Burgess, Andrea N., Pizzagalli, Fabrizio, Scartozzi, Alyssa, Chern, Alexander, Kotz, Sonja A., Wilson, Stephen M. and Gordon, Reyna L. (2022). Identifying a brain network for musical rhythm: a functional neuroimaging meta-analysis and systematic review. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 136 104588. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104588
2022
Journal Article
Dysarthria subgroups in talkers with Huntington’s disease: comparison of two data-driven classification approaches
Kim, Daniel, Diehl, Sarah, de Riesthal, Michael, Tjaden, Kris, Wilson, Stephen M., Claassen, Daniel O. and Mefferd, Antje S. (2022). Dysarthria subgroups in talkers with Huntington’s disease: comparison of two data-driven classification approaches. Brain Sciences, 12 (4) 492, 1-19. doi: 10.3390/brainsci12040492
2022
Journal Article
Recovery from aphasia in the first year after stroke
Wilson, Stephen M, Entrup, Jillian L, Schneck, Sarah M, Onuscheck, Caitlin F, Levy, Deborah F, Rahman, Maysaa, Willey, Emma, Casilio, Marianne, Yen, Melodie, Brito, Alexandra C, Kam, Wayneho, Davis, L Taylor, de Riesthal, Michael and Kirshner, Howard S (2022). Recovery from aphasia in the first year after stroke. Brain, 146 (3), 1021-1039. doi: 10.1093/brain/awac129
2021
Journal Article
Distinct Neural Correlates of Linguistic and Non-Linguistic Demand
Quillen, Ian A., Yen, Melodie and Wilson, Stephen M. (2021). Distinct Neural Correlates of Linguistic and Non-Linguistic Demand. Neurobiology of Language, 2 (2), 202-225. doi: 10.1162/nol_a_00031
2021
Journal Article
Unexpected absence of aphasia following left temporal hemorrhage: a case study with functional neuroimaging to characterize the nature of atypical language localization
Schneck, Sarah M., Entrup, Jillian L., Duff, Melissa C. and Wilson, Stephen M. (2021). Unexpected absence of aphasia following left temporal hemorrhage: a case study with functional neuroimaging to characterize the nature of atypical language localization. Neurocase, 27 (1), 97-105. doi: 10.1080/13554794.2021.1886309
2021
Journal Article
Neuroplasticity in post-stroke aphasia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of functional imaging studies of reorganization of language processing
Wilson, Stephen M. and Schneck, Sarah M. (2021). Neuroplasticity in post-stroke aphasia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of functional imaging studies of reorganization of language processing. Neurobiology of Language, 2 (1), 22-82. doi: 10.1162/nol_a_00025
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Stephen Wilson is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
-
Neural correlates of recovery from aphasia after stroke
Aphasia is one of the most common and debilitating consequences of stroke. Aphasia is caused by damage to language regions of the brain, which are usually localized to the left hemisphere. Fortunately, most individuals with aphasia after a stroke experience some degree of recovery of language function over time. The pace of recovery is greatest in the first weeks and months, but clinically meaningful gains in language function are possible even years after stroke. Recovery from aphasia is thought to depend on neural plasticity, that is, functional reorganization of surviving brain regions such that they take on new or expanded roles in language processing. However, despite much research, the mechanisms that underlie this process of functional reorganization remain poorly understood. The overall goals of this project are to better characterize the neural correlates of recovery from aphasia after stroke, and to determine which patterns of functional reorganization are associated with more versus less favorable language outcomes. This project involves a range of innovative methodologies including functional MRI with adaptive language mapping, comprehensive language assessments designed to quantify deficits in different components of the language processing system, and advanced machine learning algorithms to disentangle complex relationships between structural damage, neurofunctional changes, and language outcomes. A better understanding of the biological mechanisms that underlie recovery from aphasia will improve the clinical management of individuals with aphasia.
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Language and the brain
I am interested in advising students on any and all projects related to language and the brain. This includes language processing in neurologically normal individuals, as well as research with individuals with aphasia (acquired language deficits due to neurological damage). Please visit our lab website to learn more about our research program.
-
A universal aphasia battery for assessing language disorders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who speak traditional languages and creoles
Aphasia is an acquired language disorder resulting from injury to language areas of the brain, and is a common and debilitating consequence of stroke. Optimal management and treatment of aphasia depends first on carrying out a comprehensive and accurate assessment of the nature and severity of the aphasia. It is essential to determine which language domains are impaired or spared (e.g., word finding, expressive syntax, receptive syntax, etc.) so that interventions can be targeted to the needs of the individual. There are several widely used batteries of tests for aphasia assessment in English and other European languages, but there are presently no validated aphasia batteries in most of the languages of the world. In particular, there are no aphasia batteries in any of the traditional languages or creoles spoken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The goal of this project is to create a “universal” aphasia battery and to “instantiate” it in several traditional languages and creoles. For the battery to be “universal” means that its items will not make reference to specific word forms (e.g., “name a stethoscope”) but will instead be defined in terms of linguistic properties (e.g., “name a low-frequency man-made item with a phonologically complex 3-syllable name”). This structure will enable the battery to be instantiated faithfully in any language or dialect, rather than being translated or adapted from a source language. We will develop specific items to create aphasia batteries in Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole), Pintupi-Luritja, Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri, NT Kriol, Aboriginal English, and standard Australian English. This work will result in validated aphasia batteries ready for clinical use in several widely spoken traditional languages and creoles, as well as a foundation for development of aphasia batteries in other Indigenous languages of Australia and other community languages spoken in Australia and across the world.
-
Neural correlates of recovery from aphasia after stroke
Aphasia is one of the most common and debilitating consequences of stroke. Aphasia is caused by damage to language regions of the brain, which are usually localized to the left hemisphere. Fortunately, most individuals with aphasia after a stroke experience some degree of recovery of language function over time. The pace of recovery is greatest in the first weeks and months, but clinically meaningful gains in language function are possible even years after stroke. Recovery from aphasia is thought to depend on neural plasticity, that is, functional reorganization of surviving brain regions such that they take on new or expanded roles in language processing. However, despite much research, the mechanisms that underlie this process of functional reorganization remain poorly understood. The overall goals of this project are to better characterize the neural correlates of recovery from aphasia after stroke, and to determine which patterns of functional reorganization are associated with more versus less favorable language outcomes. This project involves a range of innovative methodologies including functional MRI with adaptive language mapping, comprehensive language assessments designed to quantify deficits in different components of the language processing system, and advanced machine learning algorithms to disentangle complex relationships between structural damage, neurofunctional changes, and language outcomes. A better understanding of the biological mechanisms that underlie recovery from aphasia will improve the clinical management of individuals with aphasia.
-
Language and the brain
I am interested in advising students on any and all projects related to language and the brain. This includes research with individuals with aphasia (acquired language deficits due to neurological damage) as well as language processing in neurologically normal individuals. Please visit our lab website to learn more about our research program.
-
A universal aphasia battery for assessing language disorders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who speak traditional languages and creoles
Aphasia is an acquired language disorder resulting from injury to language areas of the brain, and is a common and debilitating consequence of stroke. Optimal management and treatment of aphasia depends first on carrying out a comprehensive and accurate assessment of the nature and severity of the aphasia. It is essential to determine which language domains are impaired or spared (e.g., word finding, expressive syntax, receptive syntax, etc.) so that interventions can be targeted to the needs of the individual. There are several widely used batteries of tests for aphasia assessment in English and other European languages, but there are presently no validated aphasia batteries in most of the languages of the world. In particular, there are no aphasia batteries in any of the traditional languages or creoles spoken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The goal of this project is to create a “universal” aphasia battery and to “instantiate” it in several traditional languages and creoles. For the battery to be “universal” means that its items will not make reference to specific word forms (e.g., “name a stethoscope”) but will instead be defined in terms of linguistic properties (e.g., “name a low-frequency man-made item with a phonologically complex 3-syllable name”). This structure will enable the battery to be instantiated faithfully in any language or dialect, rather than being translated or adapted from a source language. We will develop specific items to create aphasia batteries in Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole), Pintupi-Luritja, Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri, NT Kriol, Aboriginal English, and standard Australian English. This work will result in validated aphasia batteries ready for clinical use in several widely spoken traditional languages and creoles, as well as a foundation for development of aphasia batteries in other Indigenous languages of Australia and other community languages spoken in Australia and across the world.
-
Neural correlates of recovery from aphasia after stroke
Aphasia is one of the most common and debilitating consequences of stroke. Aphasia is caused by damage to language regions of the brain, which are usually localized to the left hemisphere. Fortunately, most individuals with aphasia after a stroke experience some degree of recovery of language function over time. The pace of recovery is greatest in the first weeks and months, but clinically meaningful gains in language function are possible even years after stroke. Recovery from aphasia is thought to depend on neural plasticity, that is, functional reorganization of surviving brain regions such that they take on new or expanded roles in language processing. However, despite much research, the mechanisms that underlie this process of functional reorganization remain poorly understood. The overall goals of this project are to better characterize the neural correlates of recovery from aphasia after stroke, and to determine which patterns of functional reorganization are associated with more versus less favorable language outcomes. This project involves a range of innovative methodologies including functional MRI with adaptive language mapping, comprehensive language assessments designed to quantify deficits in different components of the language processing system, and advanced machine learning algorithms to disentangle complex relationships between structural damage, neurofunctional changes, and language outcomes. A better understanding of the biological mechanisms that underlie recovery from aphasia will improve the clinical management of individuals with aphasia.
-
Language and the brain
I am interested in advising students on any and all projects related to language and the brain. This includes research with individuals with aphasia (acquired language deficits due to neurological damage) as well as language processing in neurologically normal individuals. Please visit our lab website to learn more about our research program.
-
A universal aphasia battery for assessing language disorders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who speak traditional languages and creoles
Aphasia is an acquired language disorder resulting from injury to language areas of the brain, and is a common and debilitating consequence of stroke. Optimal management and treatment of aphasia depends first on carrying out a comprehensive and accurate assessment of the nature and severity of the aphasia. It is essential to determine which language domains are impaired or spared (e.g., word finding, expressive syntax, receptive syntax, etc.) so that interventions can be targeted to the needs of the individual. There are several widely used batteries of tests for aphasia assessment in English and other European languages, but there are presently no validated aphasia batteries in most of the languages of the world. In particular, there are no aphasia batteries in any of the traditional languages or creoles spoken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The goal of this project is to create a “universal” aphasia battery and to “instantiate” it in several traditional languages and creoles. For the battery to be “universal” means that its items will not make reference to specific word forms (e.g., “name a stethoscope”) but will instead be defined in terms of linguistic properties (e.g., “name a low-frequency man-made item with a phonologically complex 3-syllable name”). This structure will enable the battery to be instantiated faithfully in any language or dialect, rather than being translated or adapted from a source language. We will develop specific items to create aphasia batteries in Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole), Pintupi-Luritja, Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri, NT Kriol, Aboriginal English, and standard Australian English. This work will result in validated aphasia batteries ready for clinical use in several widely spoken traditional languages and creoles, as well as a foundation for development of aphasia batteries in other Indigenous languages of Australia and other community languages spoken in Australia and across the world.
-
Neural correlates of recovery from aphasia after stroke
Aphasia is one of the most common and debilitating consequences of stroke. Aphasia is caused by damage to language regions of the brain, which are usually localized to the left hemisphere. Fortunately, most individuals with aphasia after a stroke experience some degree of recovery of language function over time. The pace of recovery is greatest in the first weeks and months, but clinically meaningful gains in language function are possible even years after stroke. Recovery from aphasia is thought to depend on neural plasticity, that is, functional reorganization of surviving brain regions such that they take on new or expanded roles in language processing. However, despite much research, the mechanisms that underlie this process of functional reorganization remain poorly understood. The overall goals of this project are to better characterize the neural correlates of recovery from aphasia after stroke, and to determine which patterns of functional reorganization are associated with more versus less favorable language outcomes. This project involves a range of innovative methodologies including functional MRI with adaptive language mapping, comprehensive language assessments designed to quantify deficits in different components of the language processing system, and advanced machine learning algorithms to disentangle complex relationships between structural damage, neurofunctional changes, and language outcomes. A better understanding of the biological mechanisms that underlie recovery from aphasia will improve the clinical management of individuals with aphasia.
-
Language and the brain
I am interested in advising students on any and all projects related to language and the brain. This includes research with individuals with aphasia (acquired language deficits due to neurological damage) as well as language processing in neurologically normal individuals. Please visit our lab website to learn more about our research program.
-
Neural correlates of recovery from aphasia after stroke
Aphasia is one of the most common and debilitating consequences of stroke. Aphasia is caused by damage to language regions of the brain, which are usually localized to the left hemisphere. Fortunately, most individuals with aphasia after a stroke experience some degree of recovery of language function over time. The pace of recovery is greatest in the first weeks and months, but clinically meaningful gains in language function are possible even years after stroke. Recovery from aphasia is thought to depend on neural plasticity, that is, functional reorganization of surviving brain regions such that they take on new or expanded roles in language processing. However, despite much research, the mechanisms that underlie this process of functional reorganization remain poorly understood. The overall goals of this project are to better characterize the neural correlates of recovery from aphasia after stroke, and to determine which patterns of functional reorganization are associated with more versus less favorable language outcomes. This project involves a range of innovative methodologies including functional MRI with adaptive language mapping, comprehensive language assessments designed to quantify deficits in different components of the language processing system, and advanced machine learning algorithms to disentangle complex relationships between structural damage, neurofunctional changes, and language outcomes. A better understanding of the biological mechanisms that underlie recovery from aphasia will improve the clinical management of individuals with aphasia.
-
Language and the brain
I am interested in advising students on any and all projects related to language and the brain. This includes research with individuals with aphasia (acquired language deficits due to neurological damage) as well as language processing in neurologically normal individuals. Please visit our lab website to learn more about our research program.
-
A universal aphasia battery for assessing language disorders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who speak traditional languages and creoles
Aphasia is an acquired language disorder resulting from injury to language areas of the brain, and is a common and debilitating consequence of stroke. Optimal management and treatment of aphasia depends first on carrying out a comprehensive and accurate assessment of the nature and severity of the aphasia. It is essential to determine which language domains are impaired or spared (e.g., word finding, expressive syntax, receptive syntax, etc.) so that interventions can be targeted to the needs of the individual. There are several widely used batteries of tests for aphasia assessment in English and other European languages, but there are presently no validated aphasia batteries in most of the languages of the world. In particular, there are no aphasia batteries in any of the traditional languages or creoles spoken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The goal of this project is to create a “universal” aphasia battery and to “instantiate” it in several traditional languages and creoles. For the battery to be “universal” means that its items will not make reference to specific word forms (e.g., “name a stethoscope”) but will instead be defined in terms of linguistic properties (e.g., “name a low-frequency man-made item with a phonologically complex 3-syllable name”). This structure will enable the battery to be instantiated faithfully in any language or dialect, rather than being translated or adapted from a source language. We will develop specific items to create aphasia batteries in Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole), Pintupi-Luritja, Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri, NT Kriol, Aboriginal English, and standard Australian English. This work will result in validated aphasia batteries ready for clinical use in several widely spoken traditional languages and creoles, as well as a foundation for development of aphasia batteries in other Indigenous languages of Australia and other community languages spoken in Australia and across the world.
-
A universal aphasia battery for assessing language disorders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who speak traditional languages and creoles
Aphasia is an acquired language disorder resulting from injury to language areas of the brain, and is a common and debilitating consequence of stroke. Optimal management and treatment of aphasia depends first on carrying out a comprehensive and accurate assessment of the nature and severity of the aphasia. It is essential to determine which language domains are impaired or spared (e.g., word finding, expressive syntax, receptive syntax, etc.) so that interventions can be targeted to the needs of the individual. There are several widely used batteries of tests for aphasia assessment in English and other European languages, but there are presently no validated aphasia batteries in most of the languages of the world. In particular, there are no aphasia batteries in any of the traditional languages or creoles spoken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The goal of this project is to create a “universal” aphasia battery and to “instantiate” it in several traditional languages and creoles. For the battery to be “universal” means that its items will not make reference to specific word forms (e.g., “name a stethoscope”) but will instead be defined in terms of linguistic properties (e.g., “name a low-frequency man-made item with a phonologically complex 3-syllable name”). This structure will enable the battery to be instantiated faithfully in any language or dialect, rather than being translated or adapted from a source language. We will develop specific items to create aphasia batteries in Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole), Pintupi-Luritja, Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri, NT Kriol, Aboriginal English, and standard Australian English. This work will result in validated aphasia batteries ready for clinical use in several widely spoken traditional languages and creoles, as well as a foundation for development of aphasia batteries in other Indigenous languages of Australia and other community languages spoken in Australia and across the world.
-
Neural correlates of recovery from aphasia after stroke
Aphasia is one of the most common and debilitating consequences of stroke. Aphasia is caused by damage to language regions of the brain, which are usually localized to the left hemisphere. Fortunately, most individuals with aphasia after a stroke experience some degree of recovery of language function over time. The pace of recovery is greatest in the first weeks and months, but clinically meaningful gains in language function are possible even years after stroke. Recovery from aphasia is thought to depend on neural plasticity, that is, functional reorganization of surviving brain regions such that they take on new or expanded roles in language processing. However, despite much research, the mechanisms that underlie this process of functional reorganization remain poorly understood. The overall goals of this project are to better characterize the neural correlates of recovery from aphasia after stroke, and to determine which patterns of functional reorganization are associated with more versus less favorable language outcomes. This project involves a range of innovative methodologies including functional MRI with adaptive language mapping, comprehensive language assessments designed to quantify deficits in different components of the language processing system, and advanced machine learning algorithms to disentangle complex relationships between structural damage, neurofunctional changes, and language outcomes. A better understanding of the biological mechanisms that underlie recovery from aphasia will improve the clinical management of individuals with aphasia.
-
Language and the brain
I am interested in advising students on any and all projects related to language and the brain. This includes research with individuals with aphasia (acquired language deficits due to neurological damage) as well as language processing in neurologically normal individuals. Please visit our lab website to learn more about our research program.
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Behavioral and neurological predictors of post-stroke aphasia recovery
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Copland, Dr Sonia Brownsett
Media
Enquiries
Contact Associate Professor Stephen Wilson directly for media enquiries about:
- Aphasia
- Language and the brain
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