# Translation and Clinical Implementation of a Test of Language and Short-term Memory (STM) in Aphasia

> **NIH NIH R01** · TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH · 2020 · $237,750

## Abstract

Research on aphasia in the last 50 years has increased our understanding of the nature of aphasia and
guided models of its remediation. Much of this knowledge has been gained from single case or case series
studies of language impairment, which have been used to test theories of the cognitive and neural bases of
language and to develop diagnostic and treatment protocols. From this research, taxonomies of aphasia have
evolved from broad descriptions of impaired language abilities (e.g., naming) associated with lesioned neural
regions to more detailed descriptions of cognitive components of language processes (e.g., impaired retrieval of
semantic and phonological components of words). A downside of this advance is that more precise descriptions
of impairment lead to a greater number of unique profiles with fewer members in each group, making it difficult
to complete large scale studies of aphasia and its treatment. Additionally, there is little consistency of measures
used in these studies. Establishing a network space for collaboration among scientists on studies of aphasia
and its remediation would facilitate aggregation of sufficient data to support much needed large scale studies of
the more precisely defined categories of aphasic impairment, including randomized clinical trials (RCT). It will
also facilitate adoption of common measures across studies in different laboratories. Our aim is to build an
online open source research space where scientists can collaborate on language and communication
assessment and treatment research in aphasia, enabling the aggregation of data to support studies requiring
larger samples, including RCT studies. We are a leading research team investigating the role of verbal short-
term-working memory (STM-WM) in language ability and its impairment in aphasia. As such, we have (1)
amassed a large dataset relating to this research question and (2) developed the Temple Assessment of
Language and Short-term Memory in Aphasia (TALSA) as well as novel treatments for aphasia. The TALSA
provides a unique assessment of language abilities under conditions of increased STM-WM load. This data
base will be used to begin an open source space for scientists to network with our laboratory and others to
generate research on language and cognitive impairments in aphasia. In this project, we will use an NIH-
supported, cloud-based architecture (HOPE- Health Outcomes and Policy Evaluation Platform) to build a publicly
accessible cloud-based network, Collaborative Research Network on Language and Cognition in Aphasia,
CORE-Aphasia). This network will include two laboratories and a resource center (CORE-REED) where
scientists who study aphasia can (1) retrieve data from and contribute data to the TALSA database (CORE-
TALSA) and (2) implement large scale collaborative studies focused on the treatment of language and cognition
in aphasia (CORE-TREAT). We anticipate that CORE-Aphasia will develop into a highly interactive open science
netw...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10166261
- **Project number:** 3R01DC016094-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** Nadine Martin
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $237,750
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2017-12-15 → 2022-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10166261

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10166261, Translation and Clinical Implementation of a Test of Language and Short-term Memory (STM) in Aphasia (3R01DC016094-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10166261. Licensed CC0.

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