Current research agrees that what causes language breakdown in people diagnosed with dementia or with aphasia is mostly a processing failure. If this is the case, then language treatment should target the improvement of processing and all resources that support it, that is, the general area of executive functions. Up to now, there is not a single study addressing language recovery by providing differential treatment (focusing on either executive functions or core linguistic properties) to disentangle their contribution to better recovery.

The current project  aims at investigating the effectiveness of: (a) core linguistic and cognitive enhancement in people with acquired language deficits (as a result of  neurodegenerative conditions) and the interrelationship among them; and (b) behavioral treatment paired with or without non-invasive brain stimulation and their impact on quality of life based on long-lasting treatment effects. 

Our aim is to provide clinical evidence  on whether (a) pure linguistic or cognitive enhancement benefits more people with language deficits and (b) rTMS treatment offers extensive improvement of language functions compared to standard behavioral treatment.

Funding organization: ARRS (Slovenian Research Funding Agency) J6-1806 

Duration: 2019-2022 (extended till June 2023)

Amount: 300,000 euros

Partners: Faculty of Arts, UL; Faculty of Education, UL; University Clinical Centre, Ljubljana; University of Athens, Greece

PI: Christina Manouilidou