Trial Outcomes & Findings for Transcranial Direct Stimulation (tDCS) and Behavioral Intervention in Aphasia (NCT NCT02226796)

NCT ID: NCT02226796

Last Updated: 2022-10-18

Results Overview

Participants are shown one or 3 possible banks of pictures balanced for phonemic complexity which are randomly assigned to prevent learning effect. Each bank contains 15 items. Time to recall is measured using a stop watch. The mean time to recall across all items is calculated and reported in milliseconds. The smaller the number, the faster / better the reaction time is.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

NA

Target enrollment

3 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

40 minutes

Results posted on

2022-10-18

Participant Flow

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
Primed tDCS Condition First, Then Non-Prime Condition
The primed (PRIME) condition is an intervention that will consist of presentation of a-tDCS for 20 minutes to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex prior to 40 minutes of behavioral naming treatment, while the subject sits comfortably in a chair. The non-primed (NONPRIMED) condition, or sham/control is an intervention that will consist of presentation of sham tDCS for 20 minutes to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex prior to 40 minutes of behavioral naming treatment, while the subject sits comfortably in a chair.
Non-Prime Condition First, Then Primed Condition
The non-primed (NONPRIMED) condition, or sham/control is an intervention that will consist of presentation of sham tDCS for 20 minutes to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex prior to 40 minutes of behavioral naming treatment, while the subject sits comfortably in a chair. The primed (PRIME) condition is an intervention that will consist of presentation of a-tDCS for 20 minutes to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex prior to 40 minutes of behavioral naming treatment, while the subject sits comfortably in a chair.
First Intervention Phase (Week 1)
STARTED
2
1
First Intervention Phase (Week 1)
Baseline Assessment
2
1
First Intervention Phase (Week 1)
Follow Up Assessment
2
1
First Intervention Phase (Week 1)
COMPLETED
2
1
First Intervention Phase (Week 1)
NOT COMPLETED
0
0
Washout (Weeks 2-5)
STARTED
2
1
Washout (Weeks 2-5)
COMPLETED
2
1
Washout (Weeks 2-5)
NOT COMPLETED
0
0
Second Intervention Phase (Week 6)
STARTED
2
1
Second Intervention Phase (Week 6)
Baseline Assessment
2
1
Second Intervention Phase (Week 6)
Follow Up Assessment
2
1
Second Intervention Phase (Week 6)
COMPLETED
2
1
Second Intervention Phase (Week 6)
NOT COMPLETED
0
0

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

Transcranial Direct Stimulation (tDCS) and Behavioral Intervention in Aphasia

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
Sham Controlled tDCS Combined With Behavioral Naming Treatment
n=3 Participants
The primed (PRIME) condition is an intervention that will consist of presentation of a-tDCS for 20 minutes prior to 40 minutes of behavioral naming treatment, while the subject sits comfortably in a chair. The non-prime (NONPRIME) condition, sham/control is an intervention that will consist of 40 minutes of naming treatment only, followed by an additional 20 minutes of concurrent naming treatment with a-tDCS. Behavioral measures taken include: working memory, naming reaction time and naming accuracy
Age, Continuous
58.33 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 18.44 • n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
2 Participants
n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
3 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
3 Participants
n=5 Participants
Working Memory
AudioVisual_LongWordLength
16.33 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.97 • n=5 Participants
Working Memory
AudioVisual_ShortWordLength
17 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.72 • n=5 Participants
Working Memory
AudioVisual_WordSpan
18.66 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.58 • n=5 Participants
Working Memory
Visual_DigitSpan
8.66 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.39 • n=5 Participants
Working Memory
Visual_PhonologicallySimilarWords
7.66 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 6.12 • n=5 Participants
Working Memory
Visual_PhonologicallyDissimilarWords
12.5 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.5 • n=5 Participants
Working Memory
Visual_LongWordLength
6 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.24 • n=5 Participants
Working Memory
Visual_ShortWordLength
9.66 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.79 • n=5 Participants
Working Memory
Visual_WordSpan
11 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.26 • n=5 Participants
Working Memory
Total Score
148 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 102.30 • n=5 Participants
Western Aphasia Battery Score
52.23 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.30 • n=5 Participants
Boston Naming Test
12 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.81 • n=5 Participants
Naming Reaction Time
2986.03 time in milliseconds
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1260.48 • n=5 Participants
Naming Accuracy
4.48 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.4 • n=5 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 40 minutes

Population: This is a single subject cross over design where all three participants received both prime and non-prime condition

Participants are shown one or 3 possible banks of pictures balanced for phonemic complexity which are randomly assigned to prevent learning effect. Each bank contains 15 items. Time to recall is measured using a stop watch. The mean time to recall across all items is calculated and reported in milliseconds. The smaller the number, the faster / better the reaction time is.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Prime Condition
n=3 Participants
The primed (PRIME) condition is an intervention that will consist of presentation of a-tDCS for 20 minutes to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex prior to 40 minutes of behavioral naming treatment, while the subject sits comfortably in a chair. Transcranial direct current stimulation: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation tool that presents a low current that induces bi-directional polarity-dependent changes in the cortex to facilitate focal, prolonged shifts in cortical excitability at or around the time stimulation is provided. Anodal tDCS (a-tDCS), in which the positively charged electrode is placed over the targeted cortical region, has been shown to increase cortical excitability (upregulation), similar to long-term potentiation (LTP). Combining a-tDCS with behavioral-based approaches has been suggested to enhance the learning process and increase the likelihood of retention.
Non-Prime Condition/Control
n=3 Participants
The non-primed (NON-PRIME) condition, or sham controlled, is an intervention that will consist of presentation of sham tDCS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 20 minutes prior to 40 minutes of behavioral naming treatment, while the subject sits comfortably in a chair. Transcranial direct current stimulation: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation tool that presents a low current that induces bi-directional polarity-dependent changes in the cortex to facilitate focal, prolonged shifts in cortical excitability at or around the time stimulation is provided. Anodal tDCS (a-tDCS), in which the positively charged electrode is placed over the targeted cortical region, has been shown to increase cortical excitability (upregulation), similar to long-term potentiation (LTP). Combining a-tDCS with behavioral-based approaches has been suggested to enhance the learning process and increase the likelihood of retention.
Naming Reaction Time
1829.11 milliseconds
Standard Deviation 643.40
3345.97 milliseconds
Standard Deviation 1428.38

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 40 minutes

Participants are shown one of 3 possible banks of pictures balanced for phonemic complexity which are randomly assigned to prevent learning effect. Each bank contains 15 items. Each trial is scored by an examiner as accurate (1) or inaccurate (0) based on articulatory accuracy of the participant's response. The average of all trials is calculated for each participant. Total scores range from 0-15 with higher scores indicating better naming accuracy/performance.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Prime Condition
n=3 Participants
The primed (PRIME) condition is an intervention that will consist of presentation of a-tDCS for 20 minutes to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex prior to 40 minutes of behavioral naming treatment, while the subject sits comfortably in a chair. Transcranial direct current stimulation: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation tool that presents a low current that induces bi-directional polarity-dependent changes in the cortex to facilitate focal, prolonged shifts in cortical excitability at or around the time stimulation is provided. Anodal tDCS (a-tDCS), in which the positively charged electrode is placed over the targeted cortical region, has been shown to increase cortical excitability (upregulation), similar to long-term potentiation (LTP). Combining a-tDCS with behavioral-based approaches has been suggested to enhance the learning process and increase the likelihood of retention.
Non-Prime Condition/Control
n=3 Participants
The non-primed (NON-PRIME) condition, or sham controlled, is an intervention that will consist of presentation of sham tDCS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 20 minutes prior to 40 minutes of behavioral naming treatment, while the subject sits comfortably in a chair. Transcranial direct current stimulation: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation tool that presents a low current that induces bi-directional polarity-dependent changes in the cortex to facilitate focal, prolonged shifts in cortical excitability at or around the time stimulation is provided. Anodal tDCS (a-tDCS), in which the positively charged electrode is placed over the targeted cortical region, has been shown to increase cortical excitability (upregulation), similar to long-term potentiation (LTP). Combining a-tDCS with behavioral-based approaches has been suggested to enhance the learning process and increase the likelihood of retention.
Naming Accuracy
5.95 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 2.59
6.044 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 2.32

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 30 minutes

Population: The Co-PI collected data using the Boston Naming Test at baseline (before either prime or non-prime condition) and after both conditions were complete. No BNT data was collected between the two conditions, therefore we cannot determine the impact of the prime condition on BNT scores. Flawed execution of this outcome measure.

The Boston Naming Test contains 60 line drawings of objects ranging from very common objects to less familiar. The examiner scores each item + or - according to scoring procedures. Total scores are calculated by adding up the number correct. Scores range from 0 to 60. Higher scores indicate greater ability to name objects.

Outcome measures

Outcome data not reported

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 60 minutes

Population: The Co-PI collected data using the Western Aphasia Battery at baseline (before either prime or non-prime condition) and after both conditions were complete. No BNT data was collected between the two conditions, therefore we cannot determine the impact of the prime condition on WAB scores. Flawed execution of this outcome measure.

The Western Aphasia Battery, a standardized assessment of language for individuals with aphasia, contains 32 short tasks. Each task has a separate scoring scheme yielding 8 sub-scores. Total score range from 0-100 with lower scores indicating greater aphasia severity. A score between 0-25 is very severe aphasia, 26-50 is severe aphasia, 51-75 is moderate aphasia, and 76-above is mild aphasia.

Outcome measures

Outcome data not reported

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 2 months

Population: The Co-PI collected data using the working memory assessment at baseline (before either prime or non-prime condition) and after both conditions were complete. No BNT data was collected between the two conditions, therefore we cannot determine the impact of the prime condition on working memory scores. Flawed execution of this outcome measure.

During the Working Memory battery, participants complete 12 auditory only or auditory \& visual computer-based recall tasks. Twelve subset scores are calculated. Ten subtest ranges from 0-40 and 2 range from 0-60. Total score is calculated as sum of subtest scores and ranges from 0-520 with higher scores indicating greater working memory.

Outcome measures

Outcome data not reported

Adverse Events

Primed tDCS Condition

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Non-Prime Condition

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Sharyl Samargia-Grivette

University of Minnesota Duluth

Phone: 218-726-8347

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place