Effect of Stimulation of the Prefrontal Cortex on Language Production in Aphasic Patients

NCT ID: NCT02840370

Last Updated: 2017-10-26

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

19 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2016-05-31

Study Completion Date

2017-09-30

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to investigate whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) influences lexical access and language production. The experimental paradigm will assess the impact of prefrontal stimulation by tDCS versus sham tDCS (S-tDCS) over the PFC of patients with chronic post-stroke aphasia during three language production tasks and a nonverbal executive functions task.

Detailed Description

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Background:

Language processing is a complex brain function supported by a large network, including domain-specific language areas as well as domain-general cognitive-control networks (Friederici \& Gierhan, 2013). Noninvasive brain stimulation, such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), is increasingly being used as a promising therapeutic tool for psychiatric and neurological diseases (Tortella et al., 2015; Flöel, 2014). In the language domain, several studies revealed that tDCS over languagespecific areas induces changes in cortical function that enhances the recovery of language abilities in patients with post-stroke aphasia (Torres, Drebing \& Hamilton, 2013; Monti et al., 2013). Beneficial effects of tDCS have also been found for stimulation over more domain-general cognitive control regions. Although research on non-invasive brain stimulation and aphasia reveals promising results, studies investigating the modulation of cognitive control-networks on lexical access are rare. Given the importance of a successful interplay between prefrontal and domain-specific language areas, possible therapeutic effects of tDCS over the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in aphasia can be of high value for rehabilitation and basic research.

Procedure:

A planned total of 30 patients will be included. In a first visit, the severity of aphasia, the medical history as well as inclusion/exclusion criteria will be evaluated. After this visit, patients will undergo two tDCS sessions (one tDCS and one S-tDCS session) with a one week interval between the sessions. Each session consists of an online (during stimulation) and an offline assessment (within 30 minutes after stimulation). Three language tasks and a nonverbal executive function task will be conducted online as well as offline in each of the two sessions (tDCS and S-tDCS).

Conditions

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Aphasia

Keywords

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transcranial direct current stimulation aphasia language production prefrontal cortex

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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transcranial direct current stimulation

tDCS

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

transcranial direct current stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

In tDCS, the prefrontal cortex is stimulated during 20minutes through a weak constant electric current (1-2 mA) through two electrodes in a non-invasive and painless manner.

Sham tDCS

S-tDCS

Group Type SHAM_COMPARATOR

Sham tDCS

Intervention Type DEVICE

S-tDCS refers to a control condition in which the subject will receive a brief current in the beginning in order to induce a similar sensation on the scalp as in tDCS, and then the stimulator remains off for the rest of the stimulation time.

Interventions

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transcranial direct current stimulation

In tDCS, the prefrontal cortex is stimulated during 20minutes through a weak constant electric current (1-2 mA) through two electrodes in a non-invasive and painless manner.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Sham tDCS

S-tDCS refers to a control condition in which the subject will receive a brief current in the beginning in order to induce a similar sensation on the scalp as in tDCS, and then the stimulator remains off for the rest of the stimulation time.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Chronic aphasia due to ischemic or haemorrhagic stroke (\> 6 months post-stroke)
* French as dominant language
* Right-handedness
* Left hemisphere lesion with intact bilateral PFC

Exclusion Criteria

* Diagnosed dementia or psychiatric comorbidity
* Epileptic seizure within the last 12 months
* Metallic head implants
* Pacemaker
* Inability to understand procedures or insufficient language production abilities
* pregnancy
* strong headache on the days of the tDCS sessions
* consumption of alcohol and/or unprescribed drugs on the days of the tDCS sessions or on the day before
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University Hospital, Geneva

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Hôpital Cantonal de Fribourg

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Jean-Marie Annoni

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Jean-Marie Annoni

Prof. Dr. med.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Jean-Marie Annoni, Prof. Dr.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Fribourg

Locations

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Laboratory for Cognitive and Neurological Sciences

Fribourg, , Switzerland

Site Status

Hôpital Cantonal de Fribourg

Fribourg, , Switzerland

Site Status

University Hospital Geneva

Geneva, , Switzerland

Site Status

Countries

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Switzerland

References

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Friederici AD, Gierhan SM. The language network. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2013 Apr;23(2):250-4. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2012.10.002. Epub 2012 Nov 9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23146876 (View on PubMed)

Tortella G, Casati R, Aparicio LV, Mantovani A, Senco N, D'Urso G, Brunelin J, Guarienti F, Selingardi PM, Muszkat D, Junior Bde S, Valiengo L, Moffa AH, Simis M, Borrione L, Brunoni AR. Transcranial direct current stimulation in psychiatric disorders. World J Psychiatry. 2015 Mar 22;5(1):88-102. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v5.i1.88.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25815258 (View on PubMed)

Floel A. tDCS-enhanced motor and cognitive function in neurological diseases. Neuroimage. 2014 Jan 15;85 Pt 3:934-47. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.05.098. Epub 2013 May 30.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23727025 (View on PubMed)

Torres J, Drebing D, Hamilton R. TMS and tDCS in post-stroke aphasia: Integrating novel treatment approaches with mechanisms of plasticity. Restor Neurol Neurosci. 2013;31(4):501-15. doi: 10.3233/RNN-130314.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23719561 (View on PubMed)

Monti A, Ferrucci R, Fumagalli M, Mameli F, Cogiamanian F, Ardolino G, Priori A. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and language. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2013 Aug;84(8):832-42. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2012-302825. Epub 2012 Nov 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23138766 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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SNF325130_156937_3

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id