The Effect of Non-invasive Brian Stimulation on Language Production in Healthy Older Adults

NCT ID: NCT04260815

Last Updated: 2020-02-11

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

14 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-10-02

Study Completion Date

2019-08-22

Brief Summary

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The use of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques like transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) for rehabilitation of language is a growing field that needs further studies to determine how best it can be used to enhance treatment outcomes. It has been shown that tDCS can improve language performance in healthy and brain-injured individuals such as increased naming accuracy.

However, at present, it is not known what effect tDCS has on higher-level language skills like discourse production (i.e. story telling, giving instructions) in healthy, older speakers. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate in healthy older adults, the effect of tDCS on discourse production as well as the ideal tDCS electrode placement for improving language at the discourse level. It is hypothesised that tDCS will result in greater language changes and improvements during discourse production compared to no stimulation.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Language Disorders Aphasia Stroke

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

Study Groups

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anodal tDCS on the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG)

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Transcranial direct-current stimulation is a non-invasive brain stimulation method that can modify spontaneous cortical activity in targeted brain regions. Anodal tDCS delivered through a positively charged electrode has been found to increase cortical excitability in a targeted brain region. Application of tDCS has been found to improve language production in healthy and brain-injured speakers.

anodal tDCS on the right IFG

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Transcranial direct-current stimulation is a non-invasive brain stimulation method that can modify spontaneous cortical activity in targeted brain regions. Anodal tDCS delivered through a positively charged electrode has been found to increase cortical excitability in a targeted brain region. Application of tDCS has been found to improve language production in healthy and brain-injured speakers.

sham tDCS

Group Type SHAM_COMPARATOR

Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Transcranial direct-current stimulation is a non-invasive brain stimulation method that can modify spontaneous cortical activity in targeted brain regions. Anodal tDCS delivered through a positively charged electrode has been found to increase cortical excitability in a targeted brain region. Application of tDCS has been found to improve language production in healthy and brain-injured speakers.

Interventions

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Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS)

Transcranial direct-current stimulation is a non-invasive brain stimulation method that can modify spontaneous cortical activity in targeted brain regions. Anodal tDCS delivered through a positively charged electrode has been found to increase cortical excitability in a targeted brain region. Application of tDCS has been found to improve language production in healthy and brain-injured speakers.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* At least 65 years of age
* Native English speakers
* Right handed
* Normal aided or unaided visual acuity
* At least secondary school level of education

Exclusion Criteria

* History of neurological disease or cognitive impairment
* Any contraindication of tDCS (i.e. history of seizures, metal implants)
Minimum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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King's College London

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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King's College London

London, , United Kingdom

Site Status

Countries

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United Kingdom

References

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Nitsche MA, Paulus W. Excitability changes induced in the human motor cortex by weak transcranial direct current stimulation. J Physiol. 2000 Sep 15;527 Pt 3(Pt 3):633-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7793.2000.t01-1-00633.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10990547 (View on PubMed)

Thair H, Holloway AL, Newport R, Smith AD. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): A Beginner's Guide for Design and Implementation. Front Neurosci. 2017 Nov 22;11:641. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00641. eCollection 2017.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29213226 (View on PubMed)

Cattaneo Z, Pisoni A, Papagno C. Transcranial direct current stimulation over Broca's region improves phonemic and semantic fluency in healthy individuals. Neuroscience. 2011 Jun 2;183:64-70. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.03.058. Epub 2011 Apr 6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21477637 (View on PubMed)

Saffran EM, Berndt RS, Schwartz MF. The quantitative analysis of agrammatic production: procedure and data. Brain Lang. 1989 Oct;37(3):440-79. doi: 10.1016/0093-934x(89)90030-8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 2804622 (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)

Nicholas LE, Brookshire RH. A system for quantifying the informativeness and efficiency of the connected speech of adults with aphasia. J Speech Hear Res. 1993 Apr;36(2):338-50. doi: 10.1044/jshr.3602.338.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 8487525 (View on PubMed)

Wilkie R, Peat G, Thomas E, Hooper H, Croft PR. The Keele Assessment of Participation: a new instrument to measure participation restriction in population studies. Combined qualitative and quantitative examination of its psychometric properties. Qual Life Res. 2005 Oct;14(8):1889-99. doi: 10.1007/s11136-005-4325-2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16155776 (View on PubMed)

Zigmond AS, Snaith RP. The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1983 Jun;67(6):361-70. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1983.tb09716.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 6880820 (View on PubMed)

Wareham NJ, Jakes RW, Rennie KL, Mitchell J, Hennings S, Day NE. Validity and repeatability of the EPIC-Norfolk Physical Activity Questionnaire. Int J Epidemiol. 2002 Feb;31(1):168-74. doi: 10.1093/ije/31.1.168.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11914316 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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HR-19/20-6391

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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