Using tDCS in Speech-based Stroke Rehabilitation

NYU Langone Health

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Apraxia of Speech

Treatments: Device: Sham; Device: Soterix 1x1 line tDCS low-intensity stimulator

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03452202

17-01474

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the effect of treatment for acquired speech impairment can be enhanced by combining effective behavioral treatment with non-invasive brain stimulation. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which delivers low-intensity current to the scalp, and is a safe and well-tolerated approach that poses a non-significant risk to participants. tDCS provides low intensity neural stimulation which has been shown to facilitate motor learning in other domains of stroke rehabilitation such as arm motor learning but the potential to enhance speech motor learning has not been explored. This will be examined with a series of single-case experimental designs.

Enrollment: 24 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 99 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Right-handed
• Monolingual (English)
• Single left-hemisphere CVA
• A minimum of six months post-stroke
• Clinical diagnosis of apraxia of speech
• Normal speech perception
• Passing score on the hearing screening.

Exclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of laryngeal voice disorder
• Dysarthria
• History of speech impairment prior to CVA
• Presence of potential tDCS risk factors: damaged skin at site of stimulation;
• Presence of electrically or magnetically activated implant (including pacemaker);
• metal in any part of their body;
• history of medication-resistant epilepsy in the family;
• past history of seizures or unexplained spells of loss of consciousness.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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24 participants in 2 patient groups

Active Stimulation

Experimental group

Description:

crossover design such that each participant receives behavioral treatment twice - once with active stimulation and once with sham stimulation - in order to evaluate differences in improvement based on treatment condition.

Treatment:

Device: Soterix 1x1 line tDCS low-intensity stimulator

Device: Sham

Sham Stimulation

Sham Comparator group

Description:

crossover design such that each participant receives behavioral treatment twice - once with active stimulation and once with sham stimulation - in order to evaluate differences in improvement based on treatment condition.

Treatment:

Device: Soterix 1x1 line tDCS low-intensity stimulator

Device: Sham