Cerebellar Stimulation for Aphasia Rehabilitation

Part of paid clinical trials in Baltimore, Maryland.

Sponsor
Johns Hopkins University
Study ID
NCT05093673
Status
Recruiting
Apply to this trial

Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 99 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Cathodal Cerebellar tDCS — DEVICE
    2 mA of cathodal tDCS is induced between two 5cm X 5cm saline soaked sponges where the cathode sponge is placed on the right cerebellum. Ramping up of the current to 2 mA occurs over 15-30 seconds to allow participants to habituate to the tingling sensation. The stimulation will be delivered at an intensity of 2 mA for a maximum of 25 minutes.
  • Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) — BEHAVIORAL
    Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) is a treatment technique designed to improve lexical retrieval by increasing the level of activation within a semantic network. The treatment will proceed according to a series of steps including naming aloud the target picture, generating semantic features, naming aloud the target picture again, and generating a sentence using the target word.
  • Sham — DEVICE
    2 mA of cathodal tDCS is induced between two 5cm X 5cm saline soaked sponges where the cathode sponge is placed on the right cerebellum. Ramping up of the current to 2 mA occurs over 15-30 seconds to allow participants to habituate to the tingling sensation. Then, the current will be ramped back down to 0 mA in the sham condition. Termination of the stimulation after the ramping up process is generally undetectable, and the brief duration of stimulation yields no functional effects.

Study Details

The optimal site of neuromodulation for post-stroke aphasia has yet to be established. This study will investigate whether multiple sessions of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) boosts language therapy in helping people recover from aphasia as well as predict who is likely to respond to cerebellar tDCS.

Key Dates

Start date
Oct 25, 2021
Status verified
Mar 2026
Primary completion
Sep 1, 2027
Completion
Apr 1, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment
60 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Active Comparator: Cathodal Cerebellar tDCS and SFA
    Cathodal cerebellar tDCS, 2 milliamp (mA) plus Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) naming treatment for 15 sessions (25-minutes per each 60-minute treatment session) over the course of 3-5 weeks. The electrical current will be administered to the right cerebellum. The stimulation will be delivered at an intensity of 2 mA for a maximum of 25 minutes. SFA will be delivered by a Speech and Language Pathologist to improve naming
  • Sham Comparator: Sham Cerebellar tDCS and SFA
    Sham cerebellar tDCS plus SFA for 15 sessions (25-minutes per each 60-minute treatment session) over the course of 3-5 weeks. Current will be administered in a ramp-like fashion, but after the ramping, the intensity will drop to 0 mA. SFA will be delivered by a Speech and Language Pathologist to improve naming.

Primary Outcome Measure

Change in accuracy of naming untrained pictures (Philadelphia Naming Test) [ Time Frame: Pre-treatment to one week after the end of SFA treatment ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Johns Hopkins HospitalBaltimoreMaryland21287
Rajani Sebastian, PhD
[email protected]
410-502-2445
Becky Lammers, MS
[email protected]
410-502-2445

Find similar trials in Baltimore, MD

By condition
Stroke
By specialty
NeurologyBrain disorders
By research site
Johns Hopkins Hospital· Baltimore, MD

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