The figure below illustrates the main objectives and the WPs of SÁMI-CAT.

SÁMI-CAT is the first project to develop aphasia tests for North Sámi speakers.

Its main aims are:

1. to develop linguistic resources and aphasia assessment tools in North Sámi, and
2. to build knowledge that supports better aphasia care in Sámi communities.

The project comprises four scientific work packages (WPs):

WP2: Development of North Sámi linguistic infrastructure

This WP will establish the foundation for developing aphasia tests for North Sámi by creating a comprehensive linguistic infrastructure that is currently lacking. We will develop lists of words, derivation types, and syntactic constructions from the spoken corpora and their frequency in speech. Additionally, we will create a database of words' imageability, to be used as target items and distractors in the tests. WP2 is led by co-PI Lene Antonsen in close collaboration with Divvun.

WP3: Adaptation of the Comprehensive Aphasia Test (CAT) for North Sámi

In this WP we will linguistically and culturally adapt the Comprehensive Aphasia Test (CAT) into North Sámi. The CAT screens for cognitive deficits, evaluates all language modalities, and assesses the psychological and social effects of aphasia. It can track changes in severity and aids intervention planning. WP3 is led by PI Monica Norvik.

WP4: Development of the North Sámi Morphological Test for Aphasia

In WP4, we will develop a morphology test to assess how aphasia affects the comprehension and production of inflected and derived words. Such assessments are not included in the CAT, as it was originally developed for English. A morphology‑specific test is therefore necessary for accurate clinical assessment in North Sámi. WP4 is led by co-PI Berit Anne Johansdatter Bals Baal.