Treating Word Finding Difficulties in Traumatic Brain Injury With HD-tDCS

Launched by THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS · Feb 17, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring a new way to help people who have had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and struggle with finding the right words when speaking. The study is testing a method called transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), which involves using a low level of electric stimulation on a specific part of the brain that is believed to help with memory. Researchers hope that this treatment will improve the ability to retrieve words in civilian participants who have experienced TBIs more than a year ago and have ongoing word-finding difficulties.

To participate in this study, individuals must be between 18 and 85 years old, have a history of mild to moderate traumatic brain injury confirmed by certain tests, and should not be military personnel or veterans. They also need to be fluent in English. Participants will undergo various assessments to measure their verbal abilities and overall cognitive skills before, during, and after the treatment. It’s important to know that some individuals, like those with specific medical conditions or devices, may not qualify for the study. If you or someone you know fits the criteria and is interested, this trial could provide valuable insights into improving communication after a brain injury.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Between the ages of 18-85
• • Traumatic brain injury more than a year prior to study participation
• • Word finding difficulty since the brain injury
• • Fluent in speaking and reading English.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Implanted/electronic device, such as a pacemaker, metallic cranial or intracranial implant (e.g., ventriculoperitoneal shunt), or a neurostimulator (e.g., vagus nerve stimulator, spinal stimulator, deep brain stimulator, etc.).
• • Skull defects
• • History of a psychological or neurological disorder, including, dementia of any type, epilepsy or other seizure disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, brain tumor, present drug abuse, stroke, blood vessel abnormalities in the brain, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, or multiple sclerosis.
• • Inability to give informed consent
• • Military personnel or Veteran
• • Currently pregnant
• • Not fluent English speaker