NCT03930121

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Enhance Training Effectiveness in Chronic Post-Stroke Aphasia

• Status: Active Not Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 130 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University Medicine Greifswald · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The aim of the study is to investigate whether intensive speech-language therapy (SLT) combined with anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) leads to better communication performance than SLT combined with placebo stimulation (using sham-tDCS).

Detailed description

Intensive speech-language therapy (SLT) can promote recovery from chronic post-stroke aphasia, but effect sizes are moderate. This highlights the pressing need to explore adjunct strategies, such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), to enhance training effectiveness. Recently, the investigators provided evidence from a single-center randomized controlled trial (RCT) suggesting that anodal-tDCS of the left primary motor cortex (M1) improves naming and communication ability in chronic post-stroke aphasia, with medium-to-large effect sizes. However, prior to integration into clinical routine, a multi-center RCT with adequate power, duration, and outcomes relevant to everyday life is required, which is the goal of the present study. After trial completion, a workshop with relevant stakeholders will ensure transfer into best-practice guidelines.

Conditions

• Aphasia
• Post-stroke

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with speech-language therapy (SLT, including naming therapy and communicative-pragmatic therapy)	Two daily sessions of intensive SLT combined with tDCS of the left primary motor cortex (M1)

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-12-06
• Primary completion: 2026-02-04
• Completion: 2026-08-04
• First posted: 2019-04-29
• Last updated: 2025-05-16

Locations

19 sites across 1 country: Germany