Stroke Survivors Offered Free Testing in UMaine Research Project
Contact: Judy Perkins Walker, (207) 581-2003; George Manlove, (207) 581-3756
ORONO — People who are recuperating from a stroke are being sought for participation in a research project by a University of Maine communication scientist.
Judy Walker, an associate professor in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders, studies the effect of stroke on the ability to understand language.
Participants in the study must have had a stroke that may have caused specific types of problems such as difficulty understanding and speaking with others, paying attention and remembering, solving problems and recognizing visual cues.
Walker received her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts in 1994. She has 25 years of clinical practice and ten years of experience in clinical research in studying certain aspects of language disorders known as aphasia. The results of her research assists the medical community and other researchers in identifying specific areas of brain damage and prescribing the newest rehabilitation techniques for stroke survivors.
Walker and her students have developed a testing system which uses a computer to play words and sentences and record a subject’s responses. She will work with participants in their homes and other settings. The initial screening will last for about an hour. People who qualify for additional testing can expect to spend about two to three hours on the test procedure which can be spread over two sessions. Participants will receive a free hearing screening and language test.
People interested in participating in this project can contact Walker at 207-581-2003.