Research

Our research projects (active and in-preparation) are currently in the domain of computational- and psycho-linguistics, neurodevelopmental disorders, and audiology.

Ongoing research projects

Following projects are being initiated and conducted under NCCS:

  1. Predictive processing in typical and atypical population
    • Area: Predictive language processing, Developmental stuttering
    • Status: Under IRB review
    • Methods: Lab-based behavioral experiment, Computational analysis
    • PI: Dr. Pratik Bhandari

  2. Misophonia among Nepali adolescents
    • Area: Sound sensitivity, Public health
    • Status: Under IRB review
    • Methods: Survey-based study
    • PI: Dr. Sajana Aryal

  3. Hearing loss in Nepal
    • Area: Audiology, Public health
    • Status: Ongoing
    • Methods: Meta-analysis
    • PI: Dr. Pratik Bhandari

A paper has recently been published in BMJ Open (Bhandari & Aryal, 2026).

Prior research by our members

Some of our researchers are also affiliated with universities and institutions around the world. Below is the list of projects that they have undertaken across various domains of cognitive and related health sciences at different institutions prior to and alongside NCCS:

  • Advancing hearing health research in low- and middle-income countries: Bhandari & Aryal (2026), A. Bhattarai et al. (2024), Raza et al. (2023), Aryal et al. (2022)

  • Cognitive-communication & neurodegenerative conditions: B. Bhattarai et al. (2021)

  • Understanding the mechanism behind sound sensitivity disorders: Aryal et al. (2025), Prabhu et al. (2025), Aryal & Prabhu (2024), Aryal & Prabhu (2023)

  • Aphasia & stroke-related communication disorders: B. Bhattarai & Mohapatra (2026), Mohapatra & Bhattarai (2025), Mohapatra & Bhattarai (2023), B. Bhattarai & Panchakshari (2022)

  • Executive control in bilinguals: Bhandari et al. (2020), Mishra et al. (2019)

  • Speech comprehension in adverse listening conditions: Bhandari (2022), Bhandari et al. (2024), Bhandari et al. (2022), Bhandari et al. (2021)

  • Pediatric & special populations: Fameen et al. (2022), Bhatarai et al. (2020)

  • Telepractice & technology-based service delivery: Mohapatra & Bhattarai (2023), B. Bhattarai, Sanghavi, & Panchakshari (2022), B. Bhattarai, Sanghavi, & Abhishek (2022)

  • Psychological response to covid-19 pandemic: Lieberoth et al. (2021)

  • Neurodiversity: Bhandari & Khanal (2016)

References

Aryal, S., Bhattarai, B., & Prabhu, P. (2022). Development and standardization of hearing handicap inventory for adult (screening version) in nepali language. Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 74(S3), 4409–4414. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-022-03082-5
Aryal, S., Moskovich, A., Prabhu, P., & Rosenthal, M. Z. (2025). Examining the relationship between difficulties with emotion regulation and misophonia and hyperacusis symptom severity in adults with clinically significant misophonia. Hearing Research, 468, 109457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2025.109457
Aryal, S., & Prabhu, P. (2023). Understanding misophonia from an audiological perspective: A systematic review. European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 280(4), 1529–1545. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-022-07774-0
Aryal, S., & Prabhu, P. (2024). Auditory cortical functioning in individuals with misophonia: An electrophysiological investigation. European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 281(5), 2259–2273. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-023-08318-w
Bhandari, P. (2022). Interaction of top-down and bottom-up processes in spoken-language processing [PhD thesis]. Saarland University.
Bhandari, P., & Aryal, S. (2026). Prevalence of hearing loss across age groups in nepal: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol. BMJ Open, 16(1), e109331. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-109331
Bhandari, P., Demberg, V., & Kray, J. (2021). Semantic predictability facilitates comprehension of degraded speech in a graded manner. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 714485. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.714485
Bhandari, P., Demberg, V., & Kray, J. (2022). Predictability effects in degraded speech comprehension are reduced as a function of attention. Language and Cognition, 14(4), 534–551. https://doi.org/10.1017/langcog.2022.16
Bhandari, P., Demberg, V., & Kray, J. (2024). Speaking fast and slow: How speech rate affects contextual facilitation in degraded speech comprehension. PsyArXiv Preprint. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/seybg
Bhandari, P., & Khanal, P. (2016). Pride in autistic diversity: Against treatment or for inclusion? The Lancet, 388(10059), 2477. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)32176-6
Bhandari, P., Prasad, S., & Mishra, R. K. (2020). High proficient bilinguals bring in higher executive control when encountering diverse interlocutors. Journal of Cultural Cognitive Science, 4, 201–215. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41809-020-00060-7
Bhatarai, P., Bhattarai, B., & Karna, S. L. (2020). Audiology and speech-language pathology services in pediatric population during COVID pandemic in nepal. Nepalese Medical Journal, 3(2), 398–401. https://doi.org/10.3126/nmj.v3i2.32325
Bhattarai, A., Aryal, S., Bhattarai, P., & Ghimire, A. (2024). Examining the quality of life of hearing-impaired children in nepal with cochlear implants: Perspectives from parents. Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 76(4), 3114–3121. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-024-04622-x
Bhattarai, B., K B, J., Niranjana, P., & B P, A. (2021). Speech, language and cognitive profile of mild cognitive impairment: A single case study. Nepalese Medical Journal, 4(2), 499–501. https://doi.org/10.3126/nmj.v4i2.38759
Bhattarai, B., & Mohapatra, B. (2026). Projected poststroke aphasia prevalence by 2050: Demographic trends, contributing factors, and implications for clinical practice and research. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1044/2025_jslhr-25-00176
Bhattarai, B., & Panchakshari, A. B. (2022). Lexical access in brain-damaged individuals: Evidence from anomic aphasia. Neuroscience Research Notes, 5(3), 150. https://doi.org/10.31117/neuroscirn.v5i3.150
Bhattarai, B., Sanghavi, T., & Abhishek, B. P. (2022). Challenges in delivering tele-practice services for communication disorders among audiologists and speech language pathologists. Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 74(S3), 4360–4365. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-021-03032-7
Bhattarai, B., Sanghavi, T., & Panchakshari, A. B. (2022). Experience delivering tele-practice services among upcoming and working professionals of speech language pathology. Journal of Health and Allied Sciences NU, 12(04), 441–447. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-1743550
Fameen, R., K., R. P., S., P., V., R., Bhattarai, B., & B. P., A. (2022). Acquired childhood aphasia as a consequence of COVID-19 and its differential diagnosis from speech-language pathologist perspective: A case study. Clinical Case Reports, 10(11). https://doi.org/10.1002/ccr3.6587
Lieberoth, A., Lin, S.-Y., Stöckli, S., Han, H., Kowal, M., Gelpi, R., Chrona, S., Tran, T. P., Jeftić, A., Rasmussen, J., et al. (2021). Stress and worry in the 2020 coronavirus pandemic: Relationships to trust and compliance with preventive measures across 48 countries in the COVIDiSTRESS global survey. Royal Society Open Science, 8(2), 200589. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.200589
Mishra, R. K., Padmanabhuni, M., Bhandari, P., Viswambharan, S., & Prasad, S. G. (2019). Language proficiency does not modulate executive control in older bilinguals. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 26(6), 920–951. https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2018.1562029
Mohapatra, B., & Bhattarai, B. (2023). Navigating recovery: Exploring the potential of telerehabilitation via mobile tablets for poststroke communication deficits. Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/17489539.2023.2293836
Mohapatra, B., & Bhattarai, B. (2025). Prefrontal cortex activation and hemispheric lateralization during working memory load processing in individuals with aphasia: An fNIRS study. Aphasiology, 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2025.2586583
Prabhu, P., Aryal, S., Rajan, A., & Nisha, K. V. (2025). Exploring the impact of misophonia through the lens of the world health organization international classification of functioning, disability and health framework. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 36(4), 321–333. https://doi.org/10.3766/jaaa.240071
Raza, A. F., Aryal, S., & Prabhu, P. (2023). Indicators for cochlear implantation in children with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder: A systematic review. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 174, 111737. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijporl.2023.111737