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COLUMBIA, SC (WACH) -- A USC professor and speech pathologist is conducting a stroke trial for people who have impaired speech after experiencing a stroke.

Internationally known speech pathologist Dr. Julius Fridriksson will conduct a study looking into the effectiveness of using electrode stimulation of the brain.

According to Fridriksson, the voltage used during the study is applied to the scalp and is low enough that patients will not feel it.

Mark Cox, one of Fridriksson's patients. will participate in the upcoming trial.

Cox is a retired Airforce Liutenant Colonel and Deputy Commander. The father of three was set to deploy to Afghanistan, but then he had a stroke.

According to Fridriksson, Cox has Aphasia resulting from his stroke, which causes him to have impaired speech.

"I would not have gotten through the Aphasia without Robyn, my wife. I am hard headed. She set me straight and made me do it," said Cox.

Annie Hill, another participant in the trial, also had a stroke, which caused impaired speech.

The mother of four said that sometimes she gets down, but it's important for her to never give up.

"It's not something that's just going to go away in the next few months. It's going to be there forever and to see how they overcome these problems is uplifting." said Fridriksson.

For information about strokes and the USC trial click here.