Our work is focused on understanding the neural mechanisms of stroke recovery to advance novel, beneficial treatments that enhance cognitive rehabilitation, with a special emphasis on the restoration of language and reading skills following stroke.
Olga Boukrina, PhD, directs the Neurolinguistics and Brain Connectivity Laboratory within Kessler Foundation's Center for Stroke Rehabilitation Research, where she is assistant director. The goal of the Lab is to find ways to alleviate neurologic deficits caused by stroke, such as reading and language problems, through innovative research. Reading plays a crucial role in communication, personal growth, autonomy, and self-empowerment, and its loss after a stroke can significantly impact an individual's well-being. Our team uses advanced neuroimaging techniques and neuropsychological assessments to develop innovative approaches to understanding and alleviating reading difficulties after stroke.
The Lab is currently conducting a range of pilot and clinical studies and is actively seeking participants. Some of these studies utilize experimental interventions that we have developed. For example, one study is using real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback to help participants re-engage the affected left hemisphere, which is critical for language functions, including reading. In this study, participants learn self-regulation strategies, such as right-hand motor imagery, to modulate their brain activity. They receive real-time feedback on the effectiveness of their efforts to activate specific brain regions, enabling them to adjust their mental imagery and increase activity in the left hemisphere. This neurobehavioral reading intervention, when applied within the first 10 weeks after a left-hemisphere stroke, has the potential to promote post-stroke plasticity.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
New Jersey Health Foundation
Mabel H. Flory Charitable Trust
Laboratory Team
