Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) to Enhance Language Abilities
University of Pennsylvania
Summary
The goal of this study is to see if transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can be used to enhance language abilities in people with post-stroke aphasia. Participants will receive real and sham tACS in conjunction with various language tests. Researchers will compare the post-stroke aphasia group with aged matched controls to see if brain response to tACS differs between groups.
Description
This research will investigate whether transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), a form of noninvasive brain stimulation, can be used to enhance language abilities in people with aphasia (PWA) due to stroke and healthy older adults when compared to placebo (sham) tACS. The investigators hypothesize that alpha vs. sham tACS will improve language abilities. In addition, the investigators propose that alpha vs. sham tACS will increase local alpha power as well as alpha-induced functional connectivity, and the degree to which alpha tACS increases will be related to the degree of languag…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–85 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria for Persons with Aphasia: 1. Presence of aphasia 2. Suffered a single, left hemisphere stroke 3. Stroke ≥6 months old (chronic) at the time of enrollment Inclusion Criteria for Healthy Controls: 1. Right-handedness 2. Must be able to understand the nature of the study, and give informed consent Exclusion criteria for Persons with Aphasia: 1. Inability to understand the nature of the study 2. Marked naming impairment 3. Impaired non-verbal, conceptual processing 4. History of significant medical or neurological disorder (other than stroke) 5. History of significant or po…
Interventions
- DeviceActive transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)
Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) is a device that applies a low-intensity electrical current to the brain through electrodes on the scalp.
Location
- University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania