CBR Seminar Series: Erin Meier
CBR Seminar Series: Erin Meier, November 25, 2024
Title: Leveraging Wearable Technologies to Increase Ecological Validity of Aphasia Assessment
Abstract: A central assumption about language assessments commonly used in research and speech-language pathology practice is that they capture the communication challenges people with aphasia (PWA) face in everyday life. Similarly, neuroimaging paradigms of semantics, syntax, and phonology are collectively used to form our understanding of the neural architecture underlying language processes critical for communication. However, these assessments and paradigms often have low ecological validity, which challenges the notion that they provide a ground truth about real-world communication and associated brain function in PWA. Wearable sensors and other mobile health technologies show promise for addressing this knowledge gap, but their use in aphasia research is in nascent stages. In this talk, I will highlight two studies from my lab in which we leveraged such technology to address clinical and basic science questions pertaining to post-stroke anomia. First, I will describe feasibility and clinical efficacy results from a smartwatch-delivered, audio-based ecological momentary assessment study of word retrieval in adults with and without aphasia. Second, I will present preliminary behavioral and functional near-infrared spectroscopy findings from a picture naming paradigm that mimics the challenges of speaking in noisy environments. To conclude, I will open discussion to seminar participants to debate the benefits and barriers of using such technology in aphasia research and clinical practice.
Bio:
Education
PhD in Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, Boston University
M.S. in Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, Purdue University
B.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Augustana College
Current Position
Assistant Professor, Northeastern University, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Areas of Interest
The primary goal of the TAN Lab is to maximize functional communication recovery in people with aphasia by better understanding the links between the brain, language, and behavior in real-world contexts.