Episode Description
What does it actually mean to recover language after a stroke? Not just pass a test, but tell a story, hold a conversation, explain what happened to you at the airport.
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Brielle Stark, a neuroscientist and aphasia researcher at Indiana University Bloomington, to talk about discourse: the kind of language we use every day to describe our lives, our memories, and what matters to us. We dig into why standard aphasia tests miss so much of the real picture, what good home practice actually looks like (hint: easy is not the same as useful), and why the myth that recovery stops at six months needs to be retired for good.
We also talk about primary progressive aphasia, what fatigue really means for a post-stroke brain, and why you have seen one person with aphasia, you have seen exactly one person with aphasia.
Plus, Angie brings some receipts from her own story, including a pre-kindergarten math book, a crowded support group, and a very patient friend named Tay.
This is a real conversation between a researcher and a survivor, and that is exactly the point.
WHAT WE COVER
- What discourse is and why it matters more than any test you have been given
- Why aphasia is not just about language and why that framing has kept survivors from getting real help
- What good home practice actually looks like, and why easy is not the same as useful
- Brain fatigue: what it is, what triggers it, and why it is so underestimated
- The six-month recovery myth, and what the research actually shows
- Why you have seen one person with aphasia, you have seen one person with aphasia
Topics covered:
- What discourse is and why it matters for real-world recovery
- Primary progressive aphasia versus stroke aphasia: different paths, different goals
- Why standard tests do not capture how people actually communicate
- What makes home practice worth your time
- The six-month recovery myth, and what the research actually shows
- Brain fatigue, what it is, what triggers it, and why it is so underestimated
- Why "aphasia doesn't affect intelligence" is incomplete and sometimes harmful
- Neuroplasticity: what it means for stroke survivors and what it means for everyone
https://aphasiaadvocates.com/ for Brain Friends Merch
https://aphasia.org/event/ask-the-expert-february-2026/
https://www.cognitiverecoverylab.com/seles
https://aphasia.org/stories/announcing-the-davetrina-seles-gadson-health-equity-grant-program/
Our beloved colleague, Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson, passed away January 11, 2025. Dr. Gadson was an extraordinary speech-language pathologist and neuroscience researcher who devoted her energy to studying health disparities in aphasia recovery. She was a fierce advocate for improving services for individuals with aphasia, particularly Black Americans. Her research transformed our understanding of these health disparities and shed light on how we can address them. We were privileged to have Dr. Gadson as a cherished member of our lab community for four years, first as a postdoctoral fellow and then as an Instructor of Rehabilitation Medicine. She was still a close collaborator and friend to many of us at the time of her passing. Dr. Gadson was an incredible person—compassionate, inspiring, and full of life. Her dedication to advancing equity in aphasia recovery and her profound impact on our community will never be forgotten. ...