# Recovery of Affective Prosody after Stroke

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $619,892

## Abstract

Research on stroke outcomes has focused almost exclusively on recovery of very basic functions, such as
feeding oneself, bathing, walking, and speaking. However, impairments in social function, including impaired
recognition and expression of emotions, are also common consequences of stroke. Diminished affective
prosody (understanding and conveying emotion through vocal intonation, rate, pauses, and stress), is a
particularly common impairment after right hemisphere stroke, and can be misinterpreted as loss of empathy,
apathy, or depression (problems that can also be important consequences of stroke, but require different
management). Appropriate expression and recognition of prosody is also critical for effective social interaction.
Despite the impact of diminished affective prosody on quality of life and function in society, these disorders are
understudied, and there are few evidence-based treatments for these disorders. To design effective and
efficient interventions that will improve quality of life and facilitate full participation in society, and to plan
treatment trials to evaluate the interventions, we first need to lay the groundwork. We need to identify the
perceptual, cognitive, and motor deficits that can disrupt affective prosody; characterize the natural history of
recovery and variables that influence recovery of these deficits; and identify the neural networks that support
these functions and their recovery. Identifying the networks that support these processes will allow us to select
interventions that will help recruit these networks to augment behavioral therapy. In this project we will
integrate: 1) detailed longitudinal analysis of the impaired perceptual, cognitive, and motor processes
underlying prosody in each patient at four time points over the first year after stroke, and (2) detailed
longitudinal analysis of the structural and functional lesions (e.g., in right ventral and dorsal streams) and
functional connectivity between critical regions in each patient at the same four time points over the first year
after stroke, and (3) analyses of variables (such as timing and doses of antidepressants) and co-morbidities
(such as depression) that influence recovery. By integrating these methods, we will have a better
understanding of the natural recovery trajectories and the neural basis of both the impairments and their
recovery. Combining these datasets will allow us to test specific hypotheses about the perceptual, cognitive,
and motor processes and their neural mechanisms underlying affective prosody and about recovery of these
process after disruption due to focal lesions. Furthermore, by building linear mixed effect models to identify the
potential impact of independent variables on outcomes, we will be able to prognosticate and identify variables
that modify prognosis. These three sets of data will also provide a foundation for designing treatments that
combine behavioral therapy with medications or neurally-targeted int...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10194446
- **Project number:** 5R01DC015466-05
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Argye E. Hillis
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $619,892
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10194446

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10194446, Recovery of Affective Prosody after Stroke (5R01DC015466-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10194446. Licensed CC0.

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