Research

Follow our publications on Dr. Stark’s google scholar, and also make sure to check out the free texts of all publications in our resources & paper copies tab

We are interested in understanding language organization in the brain. We focus our research in older adults and adults with neurogenic communication disorders (e.g. aphasia). We ask questions like:

In the wake of later life trauma like stroke, how does the brain support language and cognitive skills?

How can brain health (like white matter integrity) contribute to language ability post-stroke, and how does brain health in typical aging contribute to language ability?

How does our ability to communicate, especially through spoken language, change after aphasia? How does this affect psychosocial and cognitive skills?

Scroll down for an overview of research, or click on the following buttons to learn more:

Funding

Dr. Stark’s research has been supported by the Gates Cambridge Trust, Indiana clinical and translational sciences institute, Indiana University, Indiana University Institute for Advanced Study, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research Switzer Merit Fellowship, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, the ASHFoundation New Investigator Award, and the National Aphasia Association Barbara Martin Research Award.

Press release from ASHFoundation HERE

Current Research Projects

gesture usage during speech

We are interested in understanding how gesture is manifested in persons with and without aphasia, as well as persons with other cognitive-communicative disorders, such as those with traumatic brain injury.

Intelligibility of speech from speakers with aphasia

This project is investigating how listeners perceive speech from speakers who have aphasia, both fluent and non-fluent. We are testing accuracy in auditory only and audiovisual conditions. In collaboration with Dr. Tessa Bent.

Test-retest reliability of spoken discourse and gesture in aphasia

This project is investigating test-retest (short interval) reliability across discourse genres in speakers with and without aphasia. This is a pilot project feeding into a larger initiative, FOQUSAphasia (FOcusing on QUality of Spoken discourse in aphasia). This project has been funded by the ASHFoundation and is presently funded (through 2026) from the NIDCD in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University.

Inner speech in aphasia

This project, funded by NIDILRR, evaluates inner speech in individuals with aphasia two ways: (1) experience of inner speech in everyday life, and (2) the extent to which inner speech predicts naming recovery after therapy.

Brain-behavior relationships in speakers with and without aphasia

Leveraging in-depth cognitive-linguistic data with structural and functional neuroimaging to identify brain-behavior relationships in speakers with and without aphasia. In collaboration with Dr. Richard Betzel.

Research Interests

We use MRI to acquire high resolution images of the brain, which allows us to explore:

• brain structure

• brain function

• relationship of brain structure and function with cognition

Language and the brain

Our specific area of interest is the organization of language in the brain.

We evaluate ‘language’ (a very wide topic!) in a variety of ways, specializing in:

• Inner speech

• Discourse production

• Co-speech gesture

• Cognitive-linguistic tasks (e.g. executive function, attention, working memory)

• Errors of morphology and grammar as well as single-word errors

Research Facilities

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Student Research

These are a few examples of the wonderful student-led research coming out of the lab!

Collaborators

We work with neuroscientists, clinicians and aphasia-experts:

FOQUSAphasia International Working Group

Center for the Study of Aphasia Recovery (CSTAR)

Affiliates of CSTAR:

• University of South Carolina Aphasia Lab

• University of South Carolina DeLab

• University of South Carolina Neurolinguistics Lab

• Johns Hopkins University S.C.O.R.E Lab

• University of California Irvine Auditory and Language Neuroscience Lab

• Medical University of South Carolina Bonilha Lab

Drs. Sharlene Newman and Yanyu Xiong at the Alabama Life Research Institute

Brain Networks Lab of Indiana University

Drs. Abi Roper and Lucy Dipper of City University of London, and Dr. Anna Caute of the University of Essex

Marquette University’s Building Rehabilitation Advances in Neurosciences (BRAIN) Lab, directed by Dr. Sarah Grace Dalton

The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, with Dr. Amy Brodtmann

Cambridge University Clinical Neurosciences Stroke Research Group

The Collaboration of Aphasia Trialists

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Recruiting for the following projects:

Brain and language study

We are interested in the relationship of language with thinking as well as language, thinking and the brain. We are interested in mapping change in the architecture (structure) and function of the brain and identifying how those changes relate to cognition. Specifically, we are interested in the brain’s structure-function pattern and the brain’s relationship to language ability in older adults and adults who have experienced a stroke to either their left or right hemisphere.

Who is eligible?

We are recruiting two groups of participants for this study: 1) adults (healthy, no neurological issues), or 2) adults with a left or right hemisphere stroke. All participants should be able to hear & see fairly well (with correction, i.e. glasses or hearing aids, is fine).

AS OF JUNE 2021, WE ARE RECRUITING ONLY ADULTS WITH LEFT OR RIGHT HEMISPHERE STROKE, WHO MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA. THANKS TO GREAT ENTHUSIASM FROM ADULTS WITHOUT BRAIN INJURY OR APHASIA, WE ARE PAUSING DATA COLLECTION FOR THAT GROUP.

Please see below for the specific details:

Adults without brain injury or aphasia <— NOT CURRENTLY RECRUITING

• 45-85 years of age

• Right handed

• Native English speaker

• No diagnosis of neurological problems (e.g. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s) or cognitive impairment (e.g. dementia, mild cognitive impairment)

• Willingness to undergo cognitive-language testing (e.g. behavior tasks)

• Ability to undergo an hour-long brain MRI session

  • No metal implants (please if you have questions!); not claustrophobic; etc.

Adults with stroke <— CURRENTLY RECRUITING

• >40 years old

• Right handed

• Native English speaker

• Have had a left or right hemisphere stroke at least 6 months ago

  • If you have a question about whether or not this fits you, please contact us

• No other neurological problems (e.g. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s) or cognitive impairment (e.g. dementia, mild cognitive impairment)

• Willingness to undergo cognitive-language testing (e.g. behavior tasks)

• Ability to undergo an hour-long brain MRI session

  • No metal implants (please if you have questions!); not claustrophobic; etc.

BENEFITS of study participation:

You will be compensated for your time ($10/hour for language and cognition assessments; $25 for the MRI scan). You will also receive a CD of your brain MRI, as well as rendered images (like the one here) created by Dr. Stark that are given to you to share with friends/family!

In addition to monetary compensation, your participation will greatly further our scientific understanding of language, thinking and the brain.

Principal investigators:

Brielle Stark, PhD - Assistant Professor in Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Program in Neuroscience

Rick Betzel, PhD - Assistant Professor in Department of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, Program in Cognitive Science and Neuroscience

If you think you may qualify to participate in any of the studies listed below, or if you are unsure, please contact our lab email: neuralresearchlab@gmail.com.

To speak with Dr. Brielle Stark directly, please email: bcstark@iu.edu

About MRI

Dr. Stark’s brain!

introduction to mri

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a very safe methodology, which uses a powerful magnetic field, radio waves and a computer to produce detailed pictures of the brain and other cranial structures that are clearer and more detailed than other imaging methods. MRI does not use ionizing radiation (e.g. x-rays).

Why we do MRI

We take detailed pictures of your brain while you rest as well as while you do a task. We are interested in the areas of your brain (structure) and how the areas of your brain work together to do tasks (function).

our Mri

We have a 3 Tesla MRI system made by Siemens. It is located in our Psychological and Brain Sciences Department, 1101 E 10th Street. We’ll provide you with more detailed instructions when you schedule to participate.

What you will do in the MRI

For the first five minutes, we will take a detailed picture of your brain. Then, you will participate in a few tasks, which we will go over outside of the scanner. After this, you will be allowed to relax and close your eyes as we take more detailed pictures. The entire scan lasts just under an hour.

MRI Safety

When you come to our lab, we’ll give you an MRI screening form to fill out. You’ll also be asked about possible contraindications (e.g. things that might not be ideal to go into an MRI) when we do pre-screening. MRI is a very safe methodology and it remains safe because we, as trained operators of the scanner, take precautions against undue risk. For example, we will carefully identify any metal that you may have in or around your body. Not all metal implants are safe for an MRI, and we verify this before we schedule you for a scan. We also make sure that you take all of the metal off of your person prior to entering the scanner room. There are always two individuals in the scanner operating room, both trained in safety of MRI scanning. Dr. Stark has been doing MRI scans since 2012.

While the MRI is safe, some adverse events occur, albeit rarely. Sometimes, heating of skin can happen. This typically occurs when the skin is in contact with metal, or when there is metal in tattoos or a piece of metal has not been taken off of your person. As described above, we take great precautions to make sure that you are MRI safe before entering the scanner. Should we find anything that looks out of the ordinary on your brain scan, we are obligated to send the scan to the IU Health radiologists. We call these ‘incidental findings.’ We will not be privy to those results; radiologists will contact you directly. Should we find something out of the ordinary such as this, we will tell you and we will stop the scan. This is, again, a rare occurrence.

What to expect when you come for the MRI

It is best to wear comfortable clothes without metal (e.g. bra without underwire, loose clothing). You’ll meet one of our lab members ahead of the scan to go over any questions you have as well as the tasks you’ll be doing in the scanner. You’ll then be asked to fill out another MRI safety screening form and the operator of the scanner will go over this form with you to ensure that you are safe to enter the scanner room. You’ll leave any removable metal objects (e.g. wallet, phone, belt) outside of the scanner in a safe place.

In the scanner: You will lie down on your back on a bed and a head coil will be placed over your face and head. This is the radio signal, by which we get very crisp pictures of your brain (see photo on right). The bed will then be raised and slowly pushed back into what we call a bore, i.e. the entrance of the scanner. Your body above your knees will be in this scanner bore. You’ll be equipped with a squeeze button, which you can press to alert us of any issue or any question. We have an intercom system with which we’ll talk to you throughout. You’ll wear ear protection and your head will be surrounded by styrofoam to dampen the noise and to make sure your head stays in the same position throughout the scan. You will also be given a leg rest to make lying on your back more comfortable. Scans are very susceptible to movement, so we ask that you remain very still when scanning is occurring. You will also receive a response device (e.g. buttons to press) for when you are asked to do the tasks that you practiced outside of the scanner.

It is typical for the scanner to make loud sounds as it takes pictures of your brain as well as the bed to slightly move throughout the scan. The sound and movement will change dependent on the type of image that we’re acquiring. This is all very typical. Some people report feeling ‘tingles’ throughout some scans, though this is rare. If, at any point, you should be uncomfortable, you are encouraged to press the squeeze ball. You will be provided a CD of your brain scan at the end of the session. We keep all brain scans on file for at least seven years, as per our Institutional Review Board obligation - therefore, should you ever need to send these brain scans to a neurologist or similar medical provider, please reach out to us and we will facilitate this process.

Helpful multimedia about MRI

A quick video showing one kind of brain scan we acquire from the MRI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LupvsT87Ec

More about MRI, including safety considerations (removing metal from your body, etc): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkmfQOET4pc

*** bear in mind we go in head-first, as we are only interested in taking pictures of the brain.

While this webpage is meant to be kid-friendly, it has great, easy to understand information about MRI: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/mri-brain.html