NCT03929432

Treatment Outcomes With tDCS in Post-Stroke Aphasia

Treatment Outcomes and Brain Mechanisms Associated With Non-Invasive Neuromodulation in Post-Stroke Aphasia

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 50 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Arkansas · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose this study is to test the utility of pairing external neuromodulation with behavioral language treatment to boost therapy outcomes and to investigate the mechanisms associated with recovery. Because all PWA have word retrieval deficits, this project will test if greater language gains can be achieved by supplementing anomia intervention with excitatory brain stimulation to the left hemisphere and will evaluate associated functional brain changes to aid the optimization of neural reorganization to facilitate language processing.

Detailed description

Aphasia is a language impairment that commonly occurs following brain damage (e.g., stroke). While language rehabilitation can yield improved language functioning, treatment outcomes vary greatly across individuals. In chronic aphasia, language gains occur through the brain's inherent ability to reorganize (i.e., neuroplasticity). While Speech-language therapy (SLT) can target various language skills and modalities, the most pervasive deficit across all persons with aphasia (PWA) is difficulty with word finding. Thus, aphasia treatment often includes some form of intervention focused on improving naming abilities. As with language function in general, naming abilities in PWA seems to be associated with left hemisphere recruitment, particularly with the viable tissue at the rim of the lesion (perilesional areas). This project investigates an innovative approach to improving current therapy by examining the benefits of using excitatory transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) stimulation/neuromodulation during anomia treatment (i.e. word-finding treatment). This study investigates an innovative approach to improving current therapy by examining the benefits of using excitatory tDCS stimulation/neuromodulation during anomia treatment. This project will provide novel mechanistic understanding of changes in functional brain connectivity in persons with post-stroke aphasia and how connectivity relates to treatment outcomes. The aims of this study are as follows: Aim 1. To investigate the benefits of using broad transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to improve word retrieval in persons with aphasia (PWA). Aim 2. To study functional brain changes related to this treatment. Aim 3. To examine behavioral and neural re-organization correlates related to treatment outcomes. All participants will complete the following 3 components: (1) Baseline Assessment, (2) Interventions (i.e., SLT with active tDCS \& sham tDCS , and (3) Outcome Testing (i.e., Behavioral \& Brain Imaging). During the first week, each participant will complete all of the Neuropsychological Testing Battery and the first round of the outcome measures as pre-testing before starting SLT. Then the participant will complete 2 weeks of SLT accompanied with either active tDCS or sham tDCS. Once the SLT is completed, the participant will complete round 2 of outcome testing (i.e., post-testing for 1st SLT phase and pre-testing for 2nd SLT phase). Then, the participant will complete another 2 weeks of SLT but with the other tDCS condition. Once SLT is completed, the participant will complete round 3 of outcome testing (i.e., post-testing for 2nd SLT phase). Lastly, the participant will complete round 4 of outcome testing (i.e., follow-up)

Conditions

• Aphasia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Active Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation with SLT	Soterix Medical 1×1 transcranial Direct Current Stimulator for Clinical Trials (1x1 tDCS-CT). Excitatory stimulation to the left hemisphere will be achieved through a 1x1 montage utilizing two carbon-rubber electrodes and 5x7 EASY pad sponges (A-tDCS \[excitatory\]left target; C-tDCS \[inhibitory\]right hemisphere). Each PWA will have a unique 5-digit tDCS program code for each treatment phase. One code will instruct the 1x1 tDCS-CT to administer active stimulation as describe above (i.e., 1.5 mA for 20 min). The other will administer 1.5 mA for only a few seconds to simulate active stimulation. SLT will consist of Semantic Feature Analysis, Phonological Component Analysis, and Verb Network Strengthening Treatment
DEVICE	Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation with SLT	Control condition in which only SLT is administered.Participant receives 1.5 mA for only a few seconds to simulate active stimulation, then the stimulation will cease. SLT will consist of Semantic Feature Analysis, Phonological Component Analysis, and Verb Network Strengthening Treatment

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-09-03
• Primary completion: 2028-08-01
• Completion: 2029-12-01
• First posted: 2019-04-26
• Last updated: 2025-07-17

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated device study