Brain Friends

Send us Fan Mail What do stroke survivors with aphasia and elite professional athletes have in common? More than you think. Angie Cauthorn and Dr. Seles apply five performance principles from professional sports ,training consistency, mental resilience, rest and recovery, nutrition, and coaching directly to aphasia rehabilitation after stroke. The result is a practical, evidence-informed framework...

Send us Fan Mail Broca's aphasia. Wernicke's aphasia. Global aphasia. Conduction aphasia. The clinical labels matter — but what do they actually mean for the person living inside them? Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson breaks down the hallmark features of each major aphasia type, explains the difference between left and right hemisphere stroke presentations, and clarifies what the research says...

Send us Fan Mail Neuroplasticity — the brain's ability to rewire itself after injury  is the scientific foundation of aphasia recovery after stroke. But most survivors never hear the word explained in plain language. Angie breaks down what neuroplasticity actually feels like from the inside, using real-life analogies from her own stroke recovery. Dr. Seles translates the neuroscience: how rep...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Title Suggestion: The First ROSA: How One Idea Became a Movement for Aphasia Awareness Episode Description: Before it had a name, it had a vision. What is now known as ROSA (Resource Orientation for Stroke and Aphasia) started here, with this day, in Philadelphia, PA. ARCH hosted the first Aphasia Awareness Fair in partnership with Temple University, bringing together 160...

Send us Fan Mail Stroke survivors with aphasia often experience depression or grief related to loss of social roles and communication. Speech-language pathologists play a role in helping clients navigate emotion when it shows up during therapy.   Dr. Seles discusses the importance of Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) taking a helping skills class to learn how to support mental health in rehabilit...

Send us Fan Mail Black stroke survivors are more likely to develop aphasia, less likely to receive equitable care, and nearly invisible in the research that is supposed to help them. Angie Cauthorn and Dr. Seles go deep on health equity in speech-language pathology. The disparities in diagnosis, treatment access, and clinical representation that shape outcomes for underserved communities. Dr. Sele...

Send us Fan Mail Self-Social isolation after stroke is one of the most underreported barriers to aphasia recovery and one of the most damaging. Angie shares the reality of maintaining friendships when communication is compromised, and the specific ways aphasia changes social relationships for stroke survivors. Dr. Seles brings the research: what neuroscience tells us about the link between social...

Send us Fan Mail  Speech-language pathologists are the most important professionals in stroke and aphasia recovery — and most survivors do not know what they actually do until they are sitting in a session. Angie Cauthorn and Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson break down the full scope of SLP practice: what SLPs assess, how they treat aphasia and acquired communication disorders after stroke, and what sur...

Send us Fan Mail Aphasia became a headline when a celebrity diagnosis put it in front of millions but stroke survivors have been living with it in silence for years. In this episode, Angie Cauthorn and Dr. Seles break down what the moment meant for aphasia awareness, what the public still gets wrong about the condition, and why representation in the conversation matters for recovery. For stroke su...

Send us Fan Mail Aphasia is one of the most isolating consequences of stroke — and one of the least talked about. In this first episode of Brain Friends: The Podcast, stroke survivor and aphasia advocate Angie Cauthorn and neuroscientist Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson introduce themselves, explain how they met, and lay out why this podcast exists. What does aphasia actually feel like from the inside?...