Cognitive-Communication Lab

Our current projects examine the differences in writing quality, behaviors, and perceptions between people with and without brain injury.  Writing is an area that is often overlooked by clinicians, educators, and researchers; we’re hoping to change that with our research.  Through our research, we are learning more about the writing challenges people with brain injury experience and how those challenges negatively affect their ability to resume pre-injury activities at home, work, and school.  We’re also learning how to better assess, treat, and support writing challenges caused by brain injury so that people with brain injury can become more successful in communicating with others and resuming the activities they enjoy.

We’re looking forward to beginning studies investigating:

• Cognitive-linguistic challenges affecting verbal, written, and gestural communication.
• Assessment and intervention approaches for people with cognitive-communication challenges caused by acquired brain injuries and neurogenic cognitive-communication disorders.
• Compensatory strategy training for people with acquired cognitive and linguistic difficulties that affect communication.

We are always looking for people to collaborate with at BGSU and in the surrounding community.  If you’re interested in learning more about our research or becoming a collaborative partner, please contact Dr. Dinnes at cdinnes@bgsu.edu or 419-372-7191.

We are always looking for volunteers to participate in our research.  Our studies include:

• People with acquired brain injuries.  This includes people with traumatic brain injury, aphasia, right hemisphere dysfunction, dementia, and other causes of brain damage or deterioration.
• People with cognitive and/or linguistic challenges that affect their ability to communicate with others verbally, in writing, or through gestures.
• People without brain injury or cognitive-linguistic difficulties.

Most of our studies can be completed by people with and without brain injury in just a few sessions.

We also conduct intervention studies specifically for people with brain injury and neurogenic cognitive-communication disorders.  These interventions typically require a greater time commitment and are completed over several weeks of sessions.

If you’d like to know more about our research or to volunteer as a participant in a research study, please contact Dr. Dinnes at cdinnes@bgsu.edu or 419-372-7191.