Language development and linguistic processing after left hemisphere perinatal stroke

 描述(申请人提供)：35年来，我一直致力于语言习得，对学习他们的第一语言的儿童进行行为研究，以及使儿童在语言习得方面如此熟练的学习机制。最近，我对脑损伤恢复过程中发育可塑性的相关问题产生了兴趣。2011-12年间，我作为参观者访问了乔治敦大学医学中心(GUMC)和国家康复医院(NRH)，在那里我观察了成人和儿童中风患者以及癫痫患者语言重组的功能磁共振研究。我发现这项工作完全扣人心弦，现在正在重新将我的研究重点放在儿童中风的康复上。2012年7月，我接受了乔治敦大学的教职员工职位，担任大脑可塑性和康复中心主任，并开始研究儿科中风的康复。我正在申请K18奖，以便在接下来的两年里，在GUMC、NRH和CNMC优秀的导师和顾问的指导下，通过全面和结构良好的培训和研究计划，为自己提供时间来提高我在研究儿童中风后语言组织方面的研究技能。我已经做了广泛的临床观察。我的培训计划包括课程作业、个人会议、定向阅读和研究培训，目的是使用神经心理学、功能磁共振成像和DTI技术来了解围产期中风后儿童语言重组的神经机制。我的导师将是Alexander Dromerick博士(成人中风康复、患者招募和研究)和William Gaillard博士(脑损伤后儿童语言重组的功能磁共振研究)，他们的团队将 对我进行成人失语症和康复方面的培训(Peter Turkeltaub博士)，儿童中风(Jessica Carpenter博士)，功能成像(John VanMeter博士)，神经心理学评估(Madison Berl博士)，以及患者和中风成像分析方面的先进技术(Peter Turkeltaub博士)以及连通性分析(Chanda Vaidya博士)。我将参加一门关于功能磁共振成像的课程和一个高级功能磁共振成像研讨会，并参加GUMC为期一学期的课程，提供负责任的研究行为高级培训。我还将对患有左半球围产期中风的儿童进行一项语言研究。该项目将关注中风后多年的年龄较大的儿童，使用功能磁共振成像、DTI和行为技术来研究中风后语言在大脑中的组织模式和原理。这项工作的最终目的是通过了解儿童成功的语言组织来改善儿童和成人中风的康复。虽然这一长期目标超出了本提议的范围，但拟议的培训将是使我能够继续在这一新领域进行独立研究的关键。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): For 35 years I have worked on language acquisition, conducting behavioral studies of children learning their first languages and the mechanisms of learning that make children so skilled in language acquisition. I've recently become interested in the related question of developmental plasticity in recovery from brain injury. I spent 2011-12 as a visitor to Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) and the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH), where I observed adult and child stroke patients and fMRI studies of language reorganization in epilepsy. I found this work completely gripping and am now refocusing my research on stroke recovery in children. In July 2012 I accepted a faculty position at Georgetown University as Director of a Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery and have been starting to do research on pediatric stroke recovery. I am applying for a K18 award to provide myself with time over the next 2 years to enhance my research skills in studying the organization of language after childhood stroke, through a comprehensive and well- structured training and research plan under the direction of the outstanding mentors and consultants available to me at GUMC, NRH, and CNMC. I have already done extensive clinical observation. My training plan includes coursework, individual meetings, directed readings, and research training on using neuropsychological, fMRI, and DTI techniques to understand neural mechanisms of reorganization of language in children after perinatal stroke. My mentors will be Dr. Alexander Dromerick (adult stroke recovery, patient recruiting and research) and Dr. William Gaillard (fMRI research on child language reorganization after brain injury), with a team that will train me on adult aphasia and recovery (Dr. Peter Turkeltaub), pediatric stroke (Dr. Jessica Carpenter), functional imaging (Dr. John VanMeter), neuropsychological assessment (Dr. Madison Berl), and advanced techniques in analysis of patient and stroke imaging (Dr. Peter Turkeltaub) and in connectivity analyses (Dr. Chandan Vaidya). I will attend a course on fMRI and an advanced fMRI workshop and attend a semester-long course at GUMC providing advanced training in responsible conduct in research. I will also conduct a research study on language in children who have had a left hemisphere perinatal stroke. This project will focus on older children, many years after stroke, using fMRI, DTI, and behavioral techniques to examine the patterns and principles of how language is organized in the brain after stroke. The ultimate aim of this work is to improve stroke recovery in children and adults by understanding successful language organization in children. While this long-term goal is beyond the scope of the present proposal, the proposed training will be crucial in allowing me to proceed on to independent research in this new field.