NCT00854893

Enhance of Language Learning With Neurostimulation

Enhance of Language Learning With Neurostimulation (Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation)

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 70 (actual)
• Sponsor: Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 86 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to test the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation over the motor cortex of the language dominant hemisphere on language learning in healthy subjects and stroke patients with aphasia. We hypothesize that anodal stimulation enhances the learning of action words compared to sham and cathodal stimulation.

Detailed description

The motor cortex is involved at different levels of language processing. It has been demonstrated that the perception of action words activates motor representations in the language-dominant hemisphere. However, it is not known whether modulation of excitability has an effect on learning new action words. Thus, we hypothesize that transcranial direct current stimulation over the motor cortex of the language-dominant hemiphere modulates the acquisition of new action words. The results bear the potential to design new rehabilitative strategies in stroke patients with aphasia. The motor cortex might offer an access to the language network that can be used for interventional approaches such as neurostimulation.

Conditions

• Stroke
• Aphasia
• Aging

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	transcranial direct current stimulation	1 mV for 20 min (verum conditions: anodal and cathodal)or 30 seconds (placebo condition: sham) during language learning , active electrode over primary motor cortex of language dominant hemisphere, reference electrode over contralateral supraorbital area

Timeline

• Start date: 2009-10-01
• Primary completion: 2010-01-01
• Completion: 2010-07-01
• First posted: 2009-03-03
• Last updated: 2024-12-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Germany