tACS for Aphasia After Stroke

Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Travel: May Be Covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Academic

Recruiting

Sponsor: Medical College of Wisconsin

Disqualifiers: Severe cognitive impairments, Unstable psychiatric disease, Cardiac stimulators, others

No Placebo Group

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This study will assess the effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on language recovery after stroke.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It is best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment HD-tACS for aphasia after stroke?

Research on a similar treatment, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), suggests it can help improve language skills in stroke patients with aphasia when combined with speech therapy. This non-invasive brain stimulation may enhance brain plasticity, which is the brain's ability to adapt and change, potentially leading to better recovery of language abilities.

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How is the treatment HD-tACS for aphasia after stroke different from other treatments?

HD-tACS (High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation) is a unique treatment for aphasia after stroke because it uses a non-invasive method to deliver electrical currents to the brain, potentially enhancing the effects of speech and language therapy. Unlike traditional treatments, it specifically targets brain activity patterns with alternating currents, which may offer a novel way to improve language recovery.

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Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for English-speaking adults over 18 who have had a stroke affecting the left side of their brain, leading to aphasia. They must be at least one month post-stroke. People with severe sensory impairments, untreated psychiatric diseases, unstable medical conditions, pacemakers or cardiac stimulators, seizure disorders, dyslexia or learning disabilities cannot participate.

Inclusion Criteria

I had a stroke that affected the left side of my brain.

Fluent in English

Consent date >= 1 month after stroke onset

Exclusion Criteria

I have a chronic condition that is not being treated or is unstable.

The presence of cardiac stimulators or pacemakers

I have seizures that are not under control.

Trial Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive high-definition tACS combined with short-term memory focused speech therapy

2 weeks

10 intervention days

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

10 weeks

Participant Groups

The study is testing whether transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, can help improve short-term memory for words in people who have language difficulties after a stroke. Some participants will receive real tACS while others get sham (fake) treatment as a comparison.

Group I: High Definition tACS with Short-term Memory Focused Speech Therapy Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

High-Definition-tACS will be delivered via a battery operated alternating current stimulator (Soterix) using two 3x1 center-surround montages.The current is turned on and increased in a ramplike fashion over approximately 30 seconds. Participants will undergo tACS stimulation for 20-minutes with 2 milliampere (mA) peak-to-peak intensity. Stimulation will be maintained no longer than 20 minutes. This will be paired with short-term memory focused speech therapy.

Group II: Sham-High Definition tACS with Short-term Memory Focused Speech Therapy Placebo Group 1 Intervention

High-Definition-tACS will be delivered via a battery operated alternating current stimulator (Soterix) using two 3x1 center-surround montages. The current is turned on and increased in a ramplike fashion for 10 to 30 seconds and then ramped down. In this way, the participants experience the same initial sensations (mild tingling) as the active tACS groups. This will be paired with short-term memory focused speech therapy.

HD-tACS is already approved in United States, European Union for the following indications:

🇺🇸 Approved in United States as HD-tACS for:

• Research use for conditions such as aphasia after stroke
• Fibromyalgia (research use)

🇪🇺 Approved in European Union as HD-tACS for:

• Research use for neurological conditions
• Memory enhancement in older adults (research use)

Find a Clinic Near You

Research Locations Nearby Select from list below to view details:

Medical College of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Medical College of Wisconsin Lead Sponsor

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of Anodic Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined With Speech Language Therapy on Nonfluent Poststroke Aphasia. [2022] Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) facilitates or inhibits spontaneous neuronal activity by low-intensity current. In this study, we evaluated the effects of tDCS and sham stimulation combined with speech language therapy (SLT) on nonfluent poststroke aphasia (PSA) patients.

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for improving aphasia in patients after stroke. [2022] Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Aphasia among stroke survivors is common. Current speech and language therapy (SLT) strategies have only limited effectiveness in improving aphasia. A possible adjunct to SLT for improving SLT outcomes might be non-invasive brain stimulation by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to modulate cortical excitability and hence to improve aphasia.

3. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for improving aphasia in adults with aphasia after stroke. [2023] Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and aphasia among survivors is common. Current speech and language therapy (SLT) strategies have only limited effectiveness in improving aphasia. A possible adjunct to SLT for improving SLT outcomes might be non-invasive brain stimulation by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to modulate cortical excitability and hence to improve aphasia.

4. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Translational treatment of aphasia combining neuromodulation and behavioral intervention for lexical retrieval: implications from a single case study. [2020] Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive method of brain stimulation, is an adjunctive research-therapy for aphasia. The concept supporting translational application of tDCS is that brain plasticity, facilitated by language intervention, can be enhanced by non-invasive brain stimulation. This study combined tDCS with an ecologically focused behavioral approach that involved training nouns and verbs in sentences.

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for improving aphasia in patients with aphasia after stroke. [2022] Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and aphasia among survivors is common. Current speech and language therapy (SLT) strategies have only limited effectiveness in improving aphasia. A possible adjunct to SLT for improving SLT outcomes might be non-invasive brain stimulation by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to modulate cortical excitability and hence to improve aphasia.

6. India pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Clinical Feasibility of Combining Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation with Standard Aphasia Therapy. [2022] Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a safe, portable, and inexpensive form of noninvasive brain stimulation that appears to augment the effects of concurrent therapy. However, several methodological issues in existing studies distance tDCS from current clinical practice. In this study, we offered (and administered) tDCS to individuals seeking typical behavioral aphasia therapy on an outpatient basis.