Nancy Helm-Estabrooks, Sc.D

Professor
Phone: (919)-966-9464
Fax: (919)-966-0100
Email: nancyhe@med.unc.edu

Education

• Sc.D. Boston University 1979
• M.Ed. Northeastern University 1972
• B.A. University of Massachusetts (Amherst) 1962

Personal Statement

In 2004 I came to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill after 32 of years of affiliation with the Harold Goodglass Aphasia Research Center at Boston University School of Medicine and the Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center. In coming to UNC, I welcomed the opportunity to pass on to students and junior colleagues the knowledge and experience I acquired by interacting with some of the world's most prominent aphasiologists, behavioral neurologists, and neuropsychologists as well as more than 2000 patients with acquired language and related disorders.

During my first year at UNC, I became active in a variety of intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary projects including the development of the Center for Aphasia and Related Disorders. My research endeavors include a study of foreign-accent syndrome with my DSHS colleague Katarina Haley, Ph.D., a project involving the use of Galatamine for treatment of nonfluent aphasia (Principal Investigator: Heidi Roth, M.D., Department of Neurology),and a program for improving the problem solving skills of individuals with Aphasia.

In August 2005 we admitted our first Ph.D. candidate concentrating on adult neurogenic communication disorders. This is a welcome addition to my teaching and mentoring responsibilities that include the courses Introduction to Adult Communication Disorders, Aphasia, Cognitive-Linguistic Disorders, and Neuropsychology for Speech, Language Pathologists.

In May 2005 we sponsored our first two-day continuing education course relating to adults neurologic communication disorders with Dr. Haley and myself addressing the topic of aphasia versus apraxia of speech. In May 2006 our second such course was devoted to traumatic brain injury with Lyn Turkstra (U. of Wisconsin at Madison) as guest speaker,and in 2007 our continuing education course topic will be aphasia therapy. I have had opportunities to present three-hour lectures on perseveration for AHEC-Greensboro and Asheville,and I look forward to more experiences with the statewide AHEC program as an opportunity to provide continuing education to allied-health colleagues working in medical settings.

Courses Taught

• SPHS 760 - Adult Communication Disorders
• SPHS 742 - Aphasia
• SPHS 752-Cognitive Linguistic Disorders
• SPHS 855 - Neurospychology for Speech Language Pathologists

Research/Clinical Interests

• Aphasia
• Cognition in Presence of Aphasia
• Aphasia and Cognitive Rehabilitation
• Perseveration
• Acquired Neurologic Stuttering

Recent Publications/Presentations

Nicholas, M. Sinotte, MP, Helm-Estabrooks, N.,(2005). Using a computer to communicate: Effect of executive function impairments in people with severe aphasia. Aphasiology, 9 (10/11),1052-1065.

Naeser, M., Martin, P., Nicholas, M. Baker, E.,Seekins, H., Helm-Estabrooks, N., et al(2005) Improved Naming after TMS Treatments in a Chronic, Global Aphasia Patient -Case Report, NeuroCase, 11,182-193.

Bayles, KA, Tomoeda, CK, McKnight, P., Helm-Estabrooks, N.,Hawley, K(2004). Verbal Perseveration in Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease. Seminars in Speech and Language Volume 25, Number 4, 2004.

Helm-Estabrooks, N. and Albert, M.L. (2004). Manual of Aphasia and Aphasia Therapy. (Second Edition). Austin, Texas: PRO-ED.

Helm-Estabrooks, N. (2001). Cognitive Linguistic Quick Test. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.

Foldi, N.S., Helm-Estabrooks, N., Redfield, J. & Nickel, D.G. (2003). Perseveration in normal aging: a comparison of perseveration rates on design fluency and verbal generative tasks. Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition, 10 (4), 268-280.

Helm-Estabrooks, N. (2002). Cognition and aphasia: A discussion and a study. Journal of Communication Disorders. 52 (17): 1-16.

Hotz, G., Helm-Estabrooks, N., Nelson, N.W. (2001). Development of the Pediatric Test of Brain Injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation.. 16, 5: 426-440.