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Language and Aphasia Lab

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Welcome to the webpage of the Language and Aphasia Lab at the Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Center.

The primary focus of our group is the research of brain networks for language in the healthy brain and disease with a particular focus on the neural mechanisms of language reorganization after stroke. Besides this, the group investigates network pathologies of cognitive deficits in different neurological diseases.​


 

For more information go to: https://www.researchgate.net/lab/Leipzig-Language-and-Aphasia-Lab-Dorothee-Saur​​

Contact

Lab & Study administration

Ines Kunis
Room G1074
Liebigstraße 20, House 4
04103 Leipzig​

E-mail:  ines.kunis@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Telephone:  ++ 49 341 - 97 24243​​

Members

​​Professor Dorothee Saur, MD
Group Leader

Telephone: 0341 - 97 24243, -24197
E-mail:  dorothee.saur@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Room G 1008

CV​
 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1808-0913

​​

Julian Klingbeil, MD
Postdoc

Telephone: 0341 - 97 24215, -24243
E-mail:  julian.klingbeil@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Room 143 „Carl Wernicke" – Haus am Park

CV
​ https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9306-9212

​​

Anika Stockert, MD
Postdoc

Telephone: 0341 - 97 24215, -24243
E-mail:  anika.stockert@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Room 143 „Carl Wernicke" – Haus am Park

CV
 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5804-2498

​​

Max Wawrzyniak, MD
Postdoc

Telephone: 0341 - 97 24215, -24243
E-mail:  max.wawrzyniak@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Room 143 „Carl Wernicke" – Haus am Park

CV
​ https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5089-1214

​​

Ines Kunis
Speech and language pathologist

Telephone: 0341 - 97 24243
E-mail:  ines.kunis@medizin.uni-leipzig.de

​​​

Melanie Schindhelm
Speech and language pathologist

Telephone: 0341 - 97 24243
E-mail:  melanie.schindhelm@medizin.uni-leipzig.de


Student assistants

Hans Schneider, medical student
E-mail: HansRalf.Schneider@medizin.uni-leipzig.de

Florian Welle, medical student
E-mail: Florian.Welle@medizin.uni-leipzig.de​​

Research Focus and Methods

 

  • Multimodal studies of the functional neuroanatomy of language in the healthy brain and in patients with aphasia after stroke​
 
  • ​​Characterization of brain networks for specific language functions in the healthy brain
  • Longitudinal studies of the mechanisms of loss and recovery of language functions after stroke
  • Development and application of methods to modulate language networks like non-invasive brain stimulation or real-time fMRI neurofeedback
  • Examination of cognitive disorders and their network pathologies in neurological diseases
  • Prediction of clinical and tissue outcome after stroke using machine learning methods based on multimodal acute stroke imaging
  • Methods​​:​
 
  • Functional Magnet Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and resting-state-fMRI
  • Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI)
  • Voxel-Based Lesion Symptom Mapping (VBLSM) and Network symptom mapping
  • (Multifocal) Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation(TMS)
  • Machine learning ​

Cooperation Partners

Publications

Current publication lists are available via the ORCID-IDs of the working group members

Key publications of the working group (File​)

  1. ​Saur D, Lange R, Baumgaertner A, Schraknepper V, Willmes K, Rijntjes M, Weiller C. Dynamics of language reorganization after stroke. Brain 2006; 129:1371-1384. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awl090

  2. Saur D, Kreher BW, Schnell S, Kümmerer D, Kellmeyer P, Vry M-S, Umarova R, Musso M, Glauche V, Abel S, Huber W, Rijntjes M, Hennig J, Weiller C. Ventral and dorsal pathways for language. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105(45): 18035-18040. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0805234105

  3. Saur D, Ronneberger O, Kümmerer D, Mader I, Weiller C, Klöppel, S. Early fMRI activations predict language outcome after stroke. Brain 2010; 133; 1252-1264. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awq021

  4. Kümmerer D, Hartwigsen G, Kellmeyer P, Glauche V, Mader I, Klöppel S, Suchan J, Karnath HO, Weiller C, Saur D. Damage to ventral and dorsal language pathways in acute aphasia. Brain 2013; 2: 619-629. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/aws354

  5. Hartwigsen G, Weigel A, Schuschan P, Siebner HR, Weise D, Classen J, Saur D. Dissociating Parieto-Frontal Networks for Phonological and Semantic Word Decisions: A Condition-and-Perturb TMS Study. Cereb Cortex 2016; 26: 2590-25601. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhv092

  6. Hartwigsen G, Bzdok D, Klein M, Wawrzyniak M, Stockert A, Wrede K, Classen C, Saur D. Rapid short-term reorganisation in the language network. eLlife 2017; 6. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.25964.001

  7. Hartwigsen G., Saur D. Neuroimaging of stroke recovery from aphasia – Insights into plasticity of the human language network. Neuroimage 2019; 190: 14-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.11.056

  8. Klingbeil J, Wawrzyniak M, Stockert A, Karnath HO, Saur D. Hippocampal diaschisis contributes to anosognosia for hemiplegia: evidence from lesion network-symptom mapping. Neuroimage 2020; 208: 116485. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116485

  9. Stockert A, Wawrzyniak M, Klingbeil J, Wrede K, Kümmerer D, Hartwigsen G, Kaller CP, Weiller C, Saur D. Dynamics of language reorganization after left temporo-parietal and frontal stroke. Brain 2020; 143(3) 844-861. https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/143/3/844/5739979?guestAccessKey=a04f8eb1-d146-4812-a10f-13a381897264​

  10. Hartwigsen G, Stockert A, Charpentier L, Wawrzyniak M, Klingbeil J, Wrede K, Obrig H, Saur D. Short-term modulation of the lesioned language network. eLife 2020; 9. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.54277.sa2​​

External Funding

James S. McDonnell Foundation (JSMF): "Function, dysfunction and recovery of speech networks". 1/2012-12/2019 (Dorothee Saur)

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation, DFG, SA 1723/5-1): "Cognitive and neurobiological characterization of deficit awareness in post-stroke aphasia" 1/2019-12/2021 (Dorothee Saur, Julian Klingbeil)​​

Doctoral Students

  • Cathleen Höfer, cand. med.
    E-Mail: cathleen_hoefer@gmx.de

    Topic of doctoral thesis: Brain volumetric measurements and recording of verbal and spatial memory performance in patients with transient global amnesia​
  • Sophia Hormig, cand. med.
    E-Mail: sophia.hormig@web.de

    Topic of doctoral thesis: Thalamic network pathology

     
  •  Susann Machleb, cand. med.
    E-Mail: susann.machleb@medizin.uni-leipzig.de

    Topic of doctoral thesis: Deficit awareness in patients with aphasia: Monitoring of progress and neuronal correlates

     
  • Max-Lennart Brandt, cand. med.
    E-Mail: max-lennart.brandt@medizin.uni-leipzig.de

    Topic of doctoral thesis: Neurobiological correlates of post-stroke depression: a lesion network study​


  • Hans Schneider, cand. med.
    E-Mail: hansralf.schneider@medizin.uni-leipzig.de

    Topic of doctoral thesis: The role of the right hemisphere in languge recovery after stroke: an fMRI informed VLSM study

     
  • Sandra Martin, cand. rer. nat.
    E-Mail: martin@cbs.mpg.de

    Topic of doctoral thesis: The domain-general network in language processing: Its role in the healthy brain and in language recovery in chronic post-stroke aphasia. 

    A cooperative project with the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (Dr. phil. habil. Gesa Hartwigsen)

     
  • Caroline Stephan, cand. med.
    E-Mail: caro_sn2000@yahoo.de

    Topic of doctoral thesis: Lesion network mapping of structural epilepsy after stroke

     
  • Florian Welle, cand. med.
    E-Mail: Florian.Welle@medizin.uni-leipzig.de

    Topic of doctoral thesis: Multiparametric prediction of tissue outcome in patients with proximal intracranial vessel occlusion and mechanical recanalization​​


  • Martin Mühlig, cand. med.
    E-Mail: martin.muehlig@t-online.de

    Topic of doctoral thesis: The role of overconfidence in anosognosia in neurological disorders​

Completed Dissertations

  • Max Wawrzyniak, MD

    Topic of doctoral thesis: Functional relevance and modulation of resting state connectivity in the semantic language network

    Defence: 26.04.2018​

  • Anni Weigel, MD

    Topic of doctoral thesis: Contribution of frontal and parietal brain regions in semantic and phonological decisions: a TMS study

    Defence: 2.11.2017

     
  • Christin Wendt, MD

    Topic of doctoral thesis: Temporo-frontal interactions in semantic integration: an fMRI-TMS study

    Defence: 2.11.2017

     
  • Thomas Golombek, MD

    Topic of doctoral thesis: The role of the left angular gyrus in auditory language comprehension (in cooperation with the MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences)

    Defence: 5.02.2015

     
  • Maren Klein, MD

    Topic of doctoral thesis: Modulation of phonological and semantic processes in the language network: a combined TMS-fMRI study

    Defence: 26.03.2015​​

Doctorate

We mainly assign experimental doctoral theses, whereby a semester on leave is usually necessary during the course of the thesis. Above-average commitment and a special interest in neuroscientific work are prerequisites for acceptance as a doctoral student. Participation in the weekly doctoral seminar (see lab meeting) is expected. Here, new projects, (interim) results and publications related to the various doctoral topics are presented.

If you are interested in a medical doctoral thesis on the topics of the research group, please send an E-mail with a meaningful curriculum vitae to dorothee.saur@medizin.uni-leipzig.de​​

Lab Meeting

Thursday, 5pm in seminar room G1024 together with the working group Prof. Claßen​​
Liebigstraße 20, Haus 4
04103 Leipzig
Telefon:
0341 - 97 24200 (Chefsekretariat)
Ambulanz:
0341 - 97 24302
Fax:
0341 - 97 24209
Map
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