Impact of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the Motor Cortex on Language Functions in Residual Aphasia (StimRAph)

Charité University Medicine Berlin

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Residual Aphasia

Treatments: Device: atDCS; Device: sham tDCS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01845129

RAPH_01EO0801

Details and patient eligibility

About

The present study assesses whether language functions in patients with residual post-stroke aphasia can be improved by transcranial direct current stimulation administered to the primary motor cortex in the language dominant (left) hemisphere.

Full description

Patients will participate in two tDCS sessions (atDCS; sham) in a cross-over within subjects design. tDCS or placebo will be administered during simulatneous fMRI to assess neural signatures of the stimulation. Order of stimulation will be counterbalanced between subjects

Enrollment: 16 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• right handedness
• German native speaker
• cerebrovascular stroke in left hemisphere (>6 months)
• mild aphasia (according to Aachen Aphasia Test Battery Classification, Huber et al., 1983)
• residual anomia in naming test (>75 correct responses)

Exclusion criteria

• other current or previous neurological or psychiatric diseases
• alcohol or drug abuse
• MRI contraindication (e.g. magnetic metal, pacemaker, claustrophobia)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

---

16 participants in 2 patient groups

anodal tDCS

Experimental group

Description:

atDCS will be administered for 20 minutes with 1 milliampere (1 mA) to the left primary hand motor cortex

Treatment:

Device: sham tDCS

Device: atDCS

sham tDCS

Sham Comparator group

Description:

sham tDCS will be administered to the left primary hand motor cortex

Treatment:

Device: sham tDCS

Device: atDCS