Stimulating Language in Subacute StrokE

Summary

The investigators will study the effects of transcranial direct current (tDCS) stimulation during language therapy for naming in individuals with aphasia in the acute and subacute post stroke period. Naming difficulties are a persistent and common symptom in aphasia after left-hemisphere (LH) stroke. Behavioral therapy (speech and language therapy; SALT) is the mainstay treatment for post stroke aphasia. Transcranial direct cortical stimulation (tDCS) is a promising adjunct to traditional SALT. tDCS is a safe, non-invasive, non-painful electrical stimulation of the brain which modulates cortical excitability by application of weak electrical currents in the form of direct current brain polarization. It is usually administered via saline-soaked surface sponge electrodes attached to the scalp and connected to a direct current stimulator with low intensities. Most studies are conducted in the chronic phase after stroke. Because neuroplasticity is greatest early after stroke, there is reason to believe tDCS might be most effective in the acute-subacute period. However, only two studies have evaluated tDCS paired with language therapy in group studies of acute to subacute aphasic stroke patients and only one of these was sham-controlled. Furthermore, no studies (of which we are aware) have combined tDCS with therapy to facilitate naming in post stroke aphasia, as shown to be effective in studies of chronic stroke. In this study, the investigators will evaluate whether tDCS combined with SALT improves naming in individuals with aphasia in the acute and subacute post stroke period, more than SALT alone in a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial. The investigators will test the hypothesis that anodal tDCS (A-tDCS) over a targeted region and computer-delivered SALT is associated with greater gains in accuracy in naming pictures, compared to sham combined with the same computer-delivered SALT in post stroke aphasia.

Conditions

• Stroke

Interventions

DEVICE

A-tDCS (1 mA)

1 mA of A-tDCS stimulation is induced between two 5 cm x 5 cm saline soaked sponges where one sponge (anode: A-tDCS) is placed on the scalp over the targeted cortical region. Ramping up of the current to 1 mA occurs over 10-15 seconds to allow participants to habituate to the tingling sensation. A-tDCS stimulation will be active only in the first 20 minutes of the 45-minute treatment session.

BEHAVIORAL

SALT

Computer-delivered naming treatment requires matching word (heard and seen being produced by the speaker) with pictures depicting common objects. It is run on a laptop computer with headphones and 2 large response buttons. During treatment, a picture appears on the laptop screen for 2 seconds. Then, a video of the speaker's face below the nose is presented on the screen saying a word that either matches or does not match the picture. The participant is instructed to press a green response button if the word matches the picture and press the red response button if the word does not match the picture.

DEVICE

Sham

1 mA of A-tDCS stimulation is induced between two 5 cm x 5 cm saline soaked sponges where one sponge (anode: A-tDCS) is placed on the scalp over the targeted cortical region. Ramping up of the current to 1 mA occurs over 10-15 seconds to allow participants to habituate to the tingling sensation. Then, the current will be ramped back down to 0 mA in the sham condition. Termination of the stimulation after the ramping up process is generally undetectable, and the brief duration of stimulation yields no functional effects.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of South Carolina

  collaborator OTHER

• Johns Hopkins University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Argye B Hillis-Trupe, MD, MA · Johns Hopkins University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

100 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2016-06-15

Primary Completion

2021-11-12

Completion

2022-04-01

Countries

• United States

Study Locations