The Effect of Dual-target tACS Combined With Speech Training on Repetition Disorder After Stroke

NCT ID: NCT07347327

Last Updated: 2026-01-21

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 28 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-01-01
• Study Completion Date: 2025-12-29

Brief Summary

This clinical trial aims to study whether dual-target transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) applied to the auditory and motor brain region can improve repetition disorder in people with stroke, and to evaluate the safety of tACS. The main goals are to answer the following questions:

1. Can dual-tACS stimulation of the auditory and motor brain area improve repetition functions in people with aphasia after stroke?

2. Can it improve the integration of auditory information and speech motor control during communication?

Researchers will compare the effects of real tACS versus sham (placebo) stimulation to see if real stimulation leads to better outcomes in aphasia patients.

Participants will:

1. Receive one extra 20-minute session of either real or sham tACS each day for 10 days

2. Attend clinic visits before and after 10-days stimulation for clinical assessments(WAB) and fNIRS recording related brain activity

Conditions

Aphasia

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: TRIPLE

Study Groups

real group

dual-target tACS on auditory and motor brain area at a frequency of 8 Hz,with individualized current intensity, delivered for 20 minutes.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

speech training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

speech training(especially repetition training) synchronized with tACS stimulation

real tACS

Intervention Type: OTHER

dual-target tACS on auditory and motor brain area at a frequency of 8 Hz,with individualized current intensity, delivered for 20 minutes.

sham group

sham tACS except for turning down the current intensity to zero during the 20-minute period, all other parameters are identical to those in real group.

Group Type: SHAM_COMPARATOR

speech training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

speech training(especially repetition training) synchronized with tACS stimulation

sham tACS

Intervention Type: OTHER

except for turning down the current intensity to zero during the 20-minute period, all other parameters are identical to those in real group.

Interventions

speech training

speech training(especially repetition training) synchronized with tACS stimulation

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

real tACS

dual-target tACS on auditory and motor brain area at a frequency of 8 Hz,with individualized current intensity, delivered for 20 minutes.

Intervention Type: OTHER

sham tACS

except for turning down the current intensity to zero during the 20-minute period, all other parameters are identical to those in real group.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Meeting the diagnostic criteria for hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke in the Chinese Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Cerebrovascular Diseases(2nd edition), with the first onset, single hemisphere stroke, and confirmed by CT or MRI,course of diease 1-6 months; ② Age ranging from 30 to 80 years old; ③ Native language is Mandarin or Cantonese; ④ Right-handed; ⑤ Diagnosed with aphasia by the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) scale; ⑥ Able to cooperate in completing the speech repetition test; ⑦ Normal hearing.

Exclusion Criteria

① Currently receiving non-invasive brain stimulation treatment; ② Lesions involving the Broca or STG brain regions; ③ History of epilepsy, mental illness,or other neurological or mental disorders; ④ Any contraindications for transcranial electrical stimulation.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 30 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 80 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Ke Dong, MD

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Ke Dong, MD

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University

Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Countries

China

Other Identifiers

Nos.82102648

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id