Effect of Anodal tDCS on Articulatory Accuracy, Word Production, and Syllable Repetition in Subjects with Aphasia: A Crossover, Double-Blinded, Sham-Controlled Trial

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) has been used to modulate and induce changes in brain function and excitability. tDCS is a promising tool for the treatment of aphasia. Objective To evaluate whether tDCS improves articulatory accuracy and speech production in patients with aphasia after stroke. Methods and Results Twelve right-handed subjects participated in a double-blind, sham-controlled, crossover offline trial. We assessed (1) articulatory accuracy at a naming task, (2) number of words correctly produced, (3) number of syllables repeated correctly, and (4) qualitative assessment of speech. Articulatory accuracy improved when using tDCS over Broca’s area in subjects with aphasia post-stroke (p ≤ 0.05). Qualitative improvement in the naming and syllable repetition tasks was observed, but the difference was not statistically significant (respectively, p = 0.15 and p = 0.79). Conclusion The current results corroborate the potential of tDCS to be used as an alternative and complementary treatment for individuals with aphasia.

Keywords

• Aphasia
• Broca’s area
• Language rehabilitation
• Speech accuracy
• Stroke
• Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS)