Clinical Study on the Safety and Efficacy of Temporal Interference Stimulation in the Treatment of Post-Stroke Aphasia

Summary

Neurological disorders encompass a wide variety of diseases, including congenital and neurodevelopmental disorders, cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, nervous system infections, neuroimmune diseases, neuromuscular or peripheral nervous system disorders, traumatic injuries, and tumor-related neurological conditions, with diverse symptomatic manifestations. The etiology, symptoms, and disease courses of these disorders vary significantly, severely impacting human health and social development, and have become a critical global public health issue. Some neurological disorders can lead to lifelong disability or high mortality rates, while others remain poorly understood, lacking effective treatments or cures.

Post-stroke aphasia (PSA) is an acquired language impairment caused by ischemic or hemorrhagic injuries to the central nervous system. Its clinical manifestations are diverse, potentially affecting spontaneous speech, auditory comprehension, repetition, naming, reading, and writing abilities, among other aspects. Statistics indicate that over 16 million people worldwide suffer from stroke each year, with approximately 38% of survivors experiencing aphasia. The prognosis for this condition is concerning, as more than 40% of patients still exhibit significant language impairments one year after the stroke, with some even facing lifelong effects. The large patient population, significant communication barriers, and poor prognosis severely diminish patients' quality of life, significantly increasing their risk of emotional disorders such as depression and social isolation. This poses a substantial challenge to family caregiving and public health systems. Therefore, the development of non-invasive and effective novel therapeutic approaches holds substantial scientific and societal importance.

Temporal interference stimulation (TI) technology represents a breakthrough in achieving non-invasive deep brain stimulation. This technology is based on the interference phenomenon, utilizing two pairs of surface electrodes to simultaneously apply sinusoidal wave stimuli at 2 kHz and 2.01 kHz. Two cortical regions are exposed to electric fields of 2 kHz or 2.01 kHz, and an interference electric field is generated in the brain region where these two fields overlap, with its envelope oscillating at 10 Hz. This technology has already been applied in the treatment of conditions such as depression, Parkinson's disease, and disorders of consciousness. The primary objective of this study is to explore the effects of TI intervention on deep brain regions, particularly on motor and non-motor related brain networks and functions in patients with neurological disorders, especially post-stroke aphasia. This research aims to provide a potential new approach for improving the clinical symptoms of these patients.

Conditions

• Post-stroke Aphasia

Interventions

OTHER

temporal interference stimulation

The envelope frequency of the TIS employed is set at 30 Hz, while the current frequencies are planned to be 1400 Hz and 1430 Hz. Due to individual variability in sensitivity to TIS, we intend to make necessary adjustments to the stimulation frequency or duration during the treatment process. For the continuous stimulation mode of TIS, the protocol follows the post-operative control consensus from Chinese experts in deep brain stimulation for neurological disorders. Electrode placement adheres to the international 10-10 EEG electrode system, with stimulation parameters (electrode positions and current parameters) determined based on the TIS optimization method proposed by the project team. The constraints are as follows: the total current across all electrodes must be less than 10 mA, and the maximum current for any single electrode is limited to 2.5 mA. The ramp-up time for stimulation is set at 30 seconds. The stimulation target for this project is based on MRI localization.

BEHAVIORAL

speech and language therapy

Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) was conducted by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), providing standardized language rehabilitation for 40 minutes daily, which included 30 minutes of SLT synchronized with TI. Based on the results of the patients' language assessments, the SLP developed and implemented an individualized rehabilitation treatment plan. The primary rehabilitation methodologies included articulation exercises, phoneme stimulation, Schuell stimulation therapy, melodic intonation therapy, object naming exercises, word reading practice, and situational conversation practice.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

80 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-12-01

Primary Completion

2027-07-31

Completion

2027-12-31

Countries

• China

Study Locations