HD-tDCS for Phonological Impairment in Aphasia

Launched by MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN · Aug 18, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at how mild electrical stimulation, used together with speech therapy, can help people who have trouble speaking after a stroke, a condition known as aphasia. The goal is to see if this combination can improve language recovery for patients, potentially helping them communicate better.

To participate in this study, you need to be between 18 and 85 years old and have language difficulties due to a stroke or similar brain injury. You should also be able to understand and speak English and be eligible for an MRI scan. However, if you have certain severe health issues, like advanced Alzheimer's disease or specific neurological disorders, you may not qualify. If you join the study, you can expect to receive both the electrical stimulation and speech therapy, with the hope of seeing improvements in your ability to communicate. The trial is currently recruiting participants, so it’s a great opportunity for those who meet the criteria to potentially benefit from this new approach.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Patients must be 18 or older.
• • Patients may not be older than 85.
• • Patients must have a language deficit from left-sided focal neurologic damage (e.g. stroke, tumor).
• • Patients must be adults and have English-language fluency.
• • Patients must be eligible to undergo MRI.
• • Beyond meeting the inclusion criteria, no preference will be given on the basis of race, ethnicity or gender.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Advanced neurodegenerative disease (i.e. Stage 3 Alzheimer's disease)
• • Neurologic disease (e.g. idiopathic epilepsy, seizure disorders that are not well managed, Parkinson's disease, ALS),
• • Severe psychopathology (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, acute major depressive episode)
• • Suspected or diagnosed uncorrectable hearing or vision difficulties, or developmental disabilities (i.e. intellectual disability or learning disability).
• • Contraindications to MRI such as claustrophobia, implanted electronic devices, MRI-incompatible metal in the body, extreme obesity, pregnancy, inability to lie flat, inability to see or hear stimulus materials.
• • Younger than 18 or older than 85.
• • \< 6 months post tumor resection.