Periodic Reporting for period 1 - T.I.M.E. (Temporal Impairment in Mapping Events: linguistic and non-linguistic time in aphasia)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-03-18 bis 2024-03-17
“Time has a new meaning. It’s all elongated and transient. […] I’ve got no sense of time” (from the documentary My beautiful broken brain, directed by S. Robinson & L. Sodderland, 2014). These are the words that Lotje, a young stroke survivor, used to describe how her perception of time changed after her brain injury. The intracerebral haemorrhage that damaged her parietal and temporal lobes caused her aphasia, a language disorder that affected her ability to read, write and speak coherently. What Lotje experienced is more common than we might think.
Based on the 2023 report provided by the World Stroke Organization, stroke is a significant health issue in Europe, with about 9 million people living with stroke, and this number is expected to rise to 12 million by 2040. Approximately one-third of these stroke survivors develop aphasia. According to EFESalud and the National Aphasia Association (NAA) there are over 250.000 aphasic patients in Spain and over 2 million in the USA. Still, based on the NAA 2022 survey on aphasia awareness in the USA, only 40% of people have heard of aphasia and can identify it as a language disorder, and 33.3% of the people who know what aphasia is either have aphasia or know someone who has it.
The T.I.M.E. project addresses critical gaps in understanding how stroke survivors process time, a fundamental cognitive ability that can be disrupted by brain injuries. With stroke as a leading cause of disability in Europe, impacting millions, enhancing our comprehension of time processing through this research is pivotal.
This project investigates time processing across different domains (linguistic: Objective 1, non-linguistic: Objective 2) and, for the first time, through structural magnetic resonance imaging (Objective 3). This aim is achieved by adopting an interdisciplinary approach, which combines neuro- linguistics and cognitive science paradigms, as well as neuro-imaging methods.
Based on the 2023 report provided by the World Stroke Organization, stroke is a significant health issue in Europe, with about 9 million people living with stroke, and this number is expected to rise to 12 million by 2040. Approximately one-third of these stroke survivors develop aphasia. According to EFESalud and the National Aphasia Association (NAA) there are over 250.000 aphasic patients in Spain and over 2 million in the USA. Still, based on the NAA 2022 survey on aphasia awareness in the USA, only 40% of people have heard of aphasia and can identify it as a language disorder, and 33.3% of the people who know what aphasia is either have aphasia or know someone who has it.
The T.I.M.E. project addresses critical gaps in understanding how stroke survivors process time, a fundamental cognitive ability that can be disrupted by brain injuries. With stroke as a leading cause of disability in Europe, impacting millions, enhancing our comprehension of time processing through this research is pivotal.
This project investigates time processing across different domains (linguistic: Objective 1, non-linguistic: Objective 2) and, for the first time, through structural magnetic resonance imaging (Objective 3). This aim is achieved by adopting an interdisciplinary approach, which combines neuro- linguistics and cognitive science paradigms, as well as neuro-imaging methods.
2.1 Development and piloting of experimental tasks:
• Designed and successfully piloted innovative experimental tasks aimed at assessing temporal processing abilities in stroke survivors. These tasks were crafted to differentiate between past, present, and future event localization, providing a robust framework for measuring nuanced aspects of time comprehension.
• Adjustments were made based on pilot feedback to optimize task clarity and effectiveness, including modifying stimuli presentation formats to better suit the cognitive capabilities of the participants.
2.2 Findings highlighting temporal processing challenges:
• Comparative results with healthy controls underscored the distinct temporal processing challenges faced by the stroke survivor group, adding valuable insights into the behavioural impacts of aphasia and related neurological conditions.
• Initial analyses of data collected from stroke survivors revealed significant impairments in their ability to process temporal information. Specifically, tasks that required locating events in time demonstrated pronounced difficulties, particularly in locating past events.
• Preliminary findings comparing performance in the linguistic and non-linguistic event location show that the time impairment might not be limited to the linguistic domain.
2.3 Lesion-symptom mapping to correlate brain lesions with language deficits:
• Collaboration with renowned experts in the field enhanced the project's scope and depth, utilizing cutting-edge methodologies to analyse the complex relationship between brain structure and cognitive function in stroke survivors.
• Large-scale lesion-symptom mapping (LSM) studies were performed to correlate specific brain lesions with linguistic deficits, providing a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying comprehension and temporal impairments.
2.4 Interdisciplinary approach to research:
• The project adopts an interdisciplinary approach, integrating linguistics with cognitive science and neuroimaging. This comprehensive strategy not only enriches research but also fosters a holistic understanding of how temporal processing is affected by neurological damage.
• Training and methodological advancements during the outgoing phase significantly enhanced the research capabilities of the postdoctoral fellow, particularly in areas such as MRI data analysis and neurocognitive assessment, ensuring high-quality data collection and analysis.
• Designed and successfully piloted innovative experimental tasks aimed at assessing temporal processing abilities in stroke survivors. These tasks were crafted to differentiate between past, present, and future event localization, providing a robust framework for measuring nuanced aspects of time comprehension.
• Adjustments were made based on pilot feedback to optimize task clarity and effectiveness, including modifying stimuli presentation formats to better suit the cognitive capabilities of the participants.
2.2 Findings highlighting temporal processing challenges:
• Comparative results with healthy controls underscored the distinct temporal processing challenges faced by the stroke survivor group, adding valuable insights into the behavioural impacts of aphasia and related neurological conditions.
• Initial analyses of data collected from stroke survivors revealed significant impairments in their ability to process temporal information. Specifically, tasks that required locating events in time demonstrated pronounced difficulties, particularly in locating past events.
• Preliminary findings comparing performance in the linguistic and non-linguistic event location show that the time impairment might not be limited to the linguistic domain.
2.3 Lesion-symptom mapping to correlate brain lesions with language deficits:
• Collaboration with renowned experts in the field enhanced the project's scope and depth, utilizing cutting-edge methodologies to analyse the complex relationship between brain structure and cognitive function in stroke survivors.
• Large-scale lesion-symptom mapping (LSM) studies were performed to correlate specific brain lesions with linguistic deficits, providing a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying comprehension and temporal impairments.
2.4 Interdisciplinary approach to research:
• The project adopts an interdisciplinary approach, integrating linguistics with cognitive science and neuroimaging. This comprehensive strategy not only enriches research but also fosters a holistic understanding of how temporal processing is affected by neurological damage.
• Training and methodological advancements during the outgoing phase significantly enhanced the research capabilities of the postdoctoral fellow, particularly in areas such as MRI data analysis and neurocognitive assessment, ensuring high-quality data collection and analysis.
3.1. Innovative experimental tasks for enhanced time processing insights:
The T.I.M.E. project has developed pioneering experimental tasks specifically designed to dissect the intricate facets of time processing in stroke survivors. These tasks are the first of their kind to differentiate between nuanced perceptions of past, present, and future events expressed linguistically and non-linguistics within the brains of those affected by aphasia. This breakthrough in experimental design fills a significant gap in neurolinguistic research and sets a new standard for future studies in the cognitive neuroscience of time processing.
3.2. Cross-linguistic investigation:
Looking forward, the project plans to extend its methodologies into a comparative linguistic analysis involving Spanish. This expansion is critical as it will test the universality of the findings across different linguistic frameworks, thereby enhancing their applicability and relevance to a global audience. By incorporating multiple languages, the research aims to uncover potential cross-linguistic variations in time processing, which could lead to more personalized and effective diagnostic tools.
3.3. Socio-Economic Impacts and Clinical Applications:
By advancing our understanding of how temporal processing deficits manifest in stroke survivors, the project paves the way for the development of more targeted and efficient clinical assessments. These advancements are expected to lead to more precise diagnostic tools, which in turn could lead to a better understanding of the underlying cause of time impairment in stroke.
The T.I.M.E. project has developed pioneering experimental tasks specifically designed to dissect the intricate facets of time processing in stroke survivors. These tasks are the first of their kind to differentiate between nuanced perceptions of past, present, and future events expressed linguistically and non-linguistics within the brains of those affected by aphasia. This breakthrough in experimental design fills a significant gap in neurolinguistic research and sets a new standard for future studies in the cognitive neuroscience of time processing.
3.2. Cross-linguistic investigation:
Looking forward, the project plans to extend its methodologies into a comparative linguistic analysis involving Spanish. This expansion is critical as it will test the universality of the findings across different linguistic frameworks, thereby enhancing their applicability and relevance to a global audience. By incorporating multiple languages, the research aims to uncover potential cross-linguistic variations in time processing, which could lead to more personalized and effective diagnostic tools.
3.3. Socio-Economic Impacts and Clinical Applications:
By advancing our understanding of how temporal processing deficits manifest in stroke survivors, the project paves the way for the development of more targeted and efficient clinical assessments. These advancements are expected to lead to more precise diagnostic tools, which in turn could lead to a better understanding of the underlying cause of time impairment in stroke.