Monday, November 3, 2025 11/3/2025

Retrieval Practice Principles: A Theory of Learning for Aphasia Rehabilitaion

Award Number: R01DC015516
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2017
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Retrieval Practice Principles: A Theory of Learning for Aphasia Rehabilitaion - Aphasia is an impairment that affects the production or comprehension of spoken, written, or gestured speech. Effective prioritization and optimization of available treatment methods for people with aphasia (PWA) requires an understanding of how the damaged system responds to different kinds of learning experiences, i.e., a theory of learning. This proposal continues development of a theory of learning for aphasia rehabilitation based on retrieval practice (RP) principles, powerful learning principles derived from basic psychological research. This renewal submission builds on the following findings concerning the treatment of the debilitating and pervasive word retrieval deficit in aphasia: (a) retrieval practice-based naming treatment, in which the PWA attempts to name an object followed by feedback, confers greater benefit to later naming of the same items compared to errorless learning, in which the name is provided for the object and repeated by the PWA; (b) correct retrievals during retrieval practice confer greater improvement compared to failed retrievals; (c) greater spacing between an item’s trials confers greater improvement. Products of a basic phase of research, these observations were derived from study designs involving the administration of a fixed number of trials per item, regardless of the mastery achieved during training. This renewal submission takes important next steps to broaden the clinical relevance of the RP theory by examining a retrieval practice-based naming treatment termed criterion learning. In criterion learning, each item’s assigned criterion level dictates the number of times that item is correctly retrieved before it is dropped from further training within a session. Criterion learning optimally incorporates the most potent elements of the RP theory thus far—spaced retrieval practice with emphasis on correct retrievals during training. By examining scheduling and dosing parameters, and feasibility of at-home delivery, the present studies will provide critical observations for optimizing criterion learning for treating word processing deficits in people with aphasia. Study 1 will identify the optimal combination of criterion level and number of training sessions for efficiently attaining naming mastery of functional, personally-relevant vocabulary for PWA with word retrieval deficit. Using a multiple-case, within- participant, multiple baseline design, Study 2 will measure early efficacy and use of the optimal dosage- schedule combination for mastery of functional vocabulary identified in Study 1. The two modules of treatment in Study 2 will involve in-lab practice and unsupervised at-home practice. Brain imaging acquisition will permit individual differences explorations in response to treatment. Study 3 will examine whether practicing items in semantically related groups enhances naming treatment benefit in a multiple-session training regimen using criterion learning. Study 4 will investigate whether naming treatment involving criterion learning confers a benefit to word comprehension in PWA, and if it does so more robustly and durably than errorless learning.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $605,477 )
2025	2025	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	8	8/14/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$609,347
2025	2025	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	8	9/27/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2025	2021	ALBERT EINSTEIN HEALTHCARE NETWORK	5501 OLD YORK RD	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19141	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	5	1/13/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$3,870
														Subtotal = $605,477

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $617,179 )
2024	2024	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	7	8/14/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$617,179
2024	2023	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	6	6/25/2024	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$131,136
2024	2021	ALBERT EINSTEIN HEALTHCARE NETWORK	5501 OLD YORK RD	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19141	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	5	6/25/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$131,136
														Subtotal = $617,179

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $623,739 )
2023	2023	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	6	6/9/2023	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$623,739
2023	2021	ALBERT EINSTEIN HEALTHCARE NETWORK	5501 OLD YORK RD	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19141	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	5	3/9/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2023	2021	ALBERT EINSTEIN HEALTHCARE NETWORK	5501 OLD YORK RD	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19141	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	5	6/2/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $623,739

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $478,683 )
2021	2021	ALBERT EINSTEIN HEALTHCARE NETWORK	5501 OLD YORK RD	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19141	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	5	4/20/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$478,683
														Subtotal = $478,683

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $478,683 )
2020	2020	ALBERT EINSTEIN HEALTHCARE NETWORK	5501 OLD YORK RD	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19141	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	4	3/25/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$478,683
														Subtotal = $478,683

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $478,683 )
2019	2019	ALBERT EINSTEIN HEALTHCARE NETWORK	5501 OLD YORK RD	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19141	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	3	4/9/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$478,683
														Subtotal = $478,683

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = $478,683 )
2018	2018	ALBERT EINSTEIN HEALTHCARE NETWORK	5501 OLD YORK RD	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19141	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	2	4/3/2018	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$47,869
2018	2018	ALBERT EINSTEIN HEALTHCARE NETWORK	5501 OLD YORK RD	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19141	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	2	3/28/2018	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$430,814
														Subtotal = $478,683

Issue Date FY: 2017 ( Subtotal = $490,415 )
2017	2017	ALBERT EINSTEIN HEALTHCARE NETWORK	5501 OLD YORK RD	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19141	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	2/13/2017	NEW	$490,415
														Subtotal = $490,415

Grand Total All Awards = $4,251,542

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Retrieval Practice Principles: A Theory of Learning for Aphasia Rehabilitaion

Award Number: R01DC015516

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2017

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer