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Current Projects
Participation Outcomes and Psychosocial Factors After Stroke
This research study investigates the perceptions and measurement of communicative participation and psychosocial factors for both individuals with post-stroke communication impairments (Study 1 — upcoming) and speech-language pathologists (Study 2 — survey now available). Participants will be compensated.
Funded by the NIH/National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), this study is a collaboration with C. Baylor and the SPEAC Lab, University of Washington.
If you would like to receive updates about this study, please click here.
Modifying and Validating a Resilience Scale for People with Aphasia
The UD ARO Lab seeks to understand how psychosocial factors influence aphasia treatment response. To study this, we must first have the appropriate and valid tools to measure these factors in people with aphasia. With the permission and collaboration of its developers, we have modified the University of Washington Resilience Scale (UWRS; Version 1 Users Guide, 2017). The modified form of the UWRS is now in the process of validation research with participants with aphasia. The resulting modified and validated resilience measure will help us to explore relationships between resilience and aphasia treatment outcomes.
Consortium on Aphasia Intervention Development and Implementation (CAIDI)
This multi-institution collaboration seeks to determine the essential ingredients of impairment-based aphasia treatments and their fit to individual cognitive-linguistic and personal profiles. The Treatment Engagement & Response project within CAIDI (PI R. Hunting Pompon, UD ARO Lab; Co-I R. Zimmerman, West Chester University) will examine personal variables (psychological, cognitive, and sociodemographic) as well as treatment engagement-related experiences of participants to better understand their contributions to language remediation. CAIDI is a collaboration between researchers from the University of Delaware, Temple University, University of North Carolina – Greensboro, University of Michigan, Purdue University, San Diego State University, Ohio State University, West Chester University, and University at Buffalo, established in 2020.
Psychosocial Associations with Language Impairments in Aphasia
Living with aphasia can be stressful and impact a person’s relationships, employment, and daily activities involving communication. In this study, we examine the associations between the language impairments, cognitive-linguistic processes, perceived chronic stress, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. The results of this study will inform future research on aphasia assessment and intervention.
Highlights – Past Projects
The Modified Perceived Stress Scale
To better measure stress, we modified and validated a measure of chronic stress for people with aphasia. The resulting scale, the Modified Perceived Stress Scale (mPSS; based on Cohen & Janicki-Deverts, 2012, and with permission of S. Cohen) is an aphasia-friendly patient-reported outcome measure and is used in both research and clinical contexts.
If you are interested in using the mPSS, please contact rhp@udel.edu.
Hunting Pompon, R., Amtmann, D., Bombardier, C., and Kendall, D (2018). Modification and validation of a measure of chronic stress for people with aphasia. Journal of Speech, Language, Hearing Research, 62, 2934-2949.
Hernandez, N., Bislick, L., Englehoven A., and Hunting Pompon, R. (2021). People with aphasia self-report and caregiver proxy-report agreement on the Modified Perceived Stress Scale and the Mutuality Scale. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 30(4), 1-11.
Examining and Measuring Psychological and Psychosocial Factors in Aphasia
Hunting Pompon, R., Fassbinder, W., McNeil, M.R., Yoo, H.S., Kim H.S., Zimmerman, R.M., Martin, N., Patterson, J.P., Pratt, S.R., and Dickey, M.W. (2022). Associations among depression, demographic variables, and language impairments in chronic post-stroke aphasia. Journal of Communication Disorders, 100 (Nov/Dec). https://doi-org.udel.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2022.106266.
Hunting Pompon, R. and Mach, H. (2022). Characterizations of resilience in post-stroke aphasia: a scoping review and considerations for treatment and research. Topics in Language Disorders, 42(3), 236-251. http://doi.org/10.1097/TLD.0000000000000285.
Engelhoven, A., Bislick, L., Gray, S., and Hunting Pompon, R. (2022). Respondent burden and readability of patient-reported outcome measures for people with aphasia. Topics in Language Disorders, 42(3), 266-282. doi.org/10.1097/TLD.0000000000000288.
Hunting Pompon, R., Smith, A.N., Baylor, C., and Kendall, D. (2019). Exploring associations between a biological marker of chronic stress and reported depression and anxiety in people with aphasia. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 62(11), 4119-4130.
Eadie, T.E., Faust, L.G., Bolt, S.E., Kapsner-Smith, M.R., Hunting Pompon, R., Baylor, C.R., Futran, N., Mendez, E. (2018). The role of psychosocial factors on communicative participation among survivors of head and neck cancer. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 159(2), 266-273.
Aphasia Treatment
Research is ongoing on Phonomotor Treatment for aphasia (PI: D. Kendall, University of Washington) and factors that contribute to treatment response. The focus of Phonomotor Treatment is rebuilding phonological representations multi-modally to improve word-finding and overall communication ability.
Minkina, I., Silkes, J.P., Bislick, L., Madden, E., Lai, V., Hunting Pompon, R., Torrance, J., Zimmerman, R.M., and Kendall, D. (2019). The influence of phonomotor treatment on word retrieval: Insights from naming errors. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 62(11), 4080-4104.
Silkes, J, Fergadiotis, G, Horton, J, Hunting Pompon, R, Torrence, J, and Kendall, D (2019). Effects of phonomotor treatment on discourse production. Aphasiology, 33(2), 125-139. https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2018.1512080
Hunting Pompon, R., Bislick, L., Elliott, K., Madden, E., Minkina, I., Oelke, M., and Kendall, D. (2017). Influence of linguistic and non-linguistic variables on generalization and maintenance following phonomotor treatment for aphasia. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 26(4), 1092-1104.
Minkina, I., Oelke, M., Bislick, L.P., Brookshire, C.E., Hunting Pompon, R., Silkes, J.P., & Kendall, D.L. (2015). An investigation of aphasic naming errors evolution following phonomotor treatment. Aphasiology, 30(8), 962-980.
Brookshire, CE, Conway, T, Hunting Pompon, R, Oelke, M, and Kendall, DL (2014). Effects of intensive phonomotor treatment on reading in eight individuals with aphasia and phonological alexia. American Journal of SpeechLanguage Pathology, 23(2), S300-311.
Kendall, D, Hunting Pompon, R, Brookshire, CE, Minkina, I, Bislick, L (2013). An analysis of aphasic naming errors as an indicator of improved linguistic processing following phonomotor treatment. American Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 22, S240-S249.
Aphasia and Cognitive Processes
Dr. Hunting Pompon has conducted and collaborated in research about how attention, working memory, and other cognitive processes are involved in lexical retrieval in people with aphasia.
Hunting Pompon, R, McNeil, M, Spencer, K, and Kendall, D (2015). Intentional and reactive inhibition during spoken-word Stroop task performance in people with aphasia. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 58, 767-780. 6
Hunting Pompon, R, Kendall, DL and Moore, AB (2011). Examining attention and cognitive processing in participants with self reported mild anomia. Aphasiology, 25(6), 800-812.
Student Capstone Projects
2022-2023
Rebecca Dublin – “Exploring design features and communicative supports in patient-reported outcome measures for individuals with aphasia.”
Molly Hamilton – “Use of videoconferencing technology with individuals with aphasia: a guide for friends and families.”
Meghan O’Brien – “Differing results on PROMs when using a proxy report for people with aphasia.”
2021-2022
Lizzie Frederick – “Does socioeconomic status influence language rehabilitation outcomes in aphasia?”
Mitali Patel – “Exploring associations between chronic stress and rehabilitation learning in people with aphasia.”
2020-2021
Kate Anderson – “Post-stroke fatigue and its impact on aphasia therapy”
Jennifer Fritz – “Group singing, quality of life, and social participation in communication disorders.”
Caroline Grimes – “Post-stroke fatigue, depression, and therapy motivation.”
Colleen Yerger – “Group participation, friendship, and quality of life for people with aphasia.”
2019-2020
Emily Benoit – “Assessing changes in resilience following treatment for aphasia: a capstone project”
Mariah Graham – “Communication Training for Healthcare Providers of Patients with Communication Disorders”
Abby Hidalgo – “Clinical Administrative Staff Training on Communicating with People with Communication Disorders”
Lindsay Reiner – “Clinician-provider Relationships and Adherence to Treatment”
2018-2019
Cynthia Hagerty – “Investigating Communicative Participation in Adults with Aphasia Following 2-week Intensive Summer Program”
Brett Myles – “The Canyon Behind Them: A Stroke Caregiver Documentary”
Kayla Rivoli – “Prevalence of Burnout and Compassion Satisfaction Among Speech-Language Pathologists”
2017-2018
Alexis Ryan – “Is lexical retrieval therapy an effective approach for all adults with primary progressive aphasia?”