Enhance of Language Learning With Neurostimulation

Stroke Clinical Trial

Official title:

Enhance of Language Learning With Neurostimulation (Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation)

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00854893
• Other study ID #: PV3128
• Secondary ID: Grant # DFG: LI
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: October 2009
• Est. completion date: July 1, 2010

Study information

• Verified date: August 2022
• Source: Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to test the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation over the motor cortex of the language dominant hemisphere on language learning in healthy subjects and stroke patients with aphasia. We hypothesize that anodal stimulation enhances the learning of action words compared to sham and cathodal stimulation.

Description:

The motor cortex is involved at different levels of language processing. It has been demonstrated that the perception of action words activates motor representations in the language-dominant hemisphere. However, it is not known whether modulation of excitability has an effect on learning new action words. Thus, we hypothesize that transcranial direct current stimulation over the motor cortex of the language-dominant hemiphere modulates the acquisition of new action words. The results bear the potential to design new rehabilitative strategies in stroke patients with aphasia. The motor cortex might offer an access to the language network that can be used for interventional approaches such as neurostimulation.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 70
• Est. completion date: July 1, 2010
• Est. primary completion date: January 1, 2010
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 86 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• age >18 and < 86 years

• contractual capability

• ischemic stroke excluding motor cortex (stroke patients)

• minimum time since stroke 9 months

• aphasia (stroke patients)

• severe aphasia that impedes understanding of instructions (stroke patients)

Exclusion Criteria:

• sever head trauma in the past

• seizures

• pace maker

• metal implants in the head/neck region

• severe comorbidity, especially neurologic and psychiatric diseases

• intake of illegal drugs

• Mini Mental State examination score < 27

• neuroactive substances, e.g. antidepressants

• pregnancy

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Aging
• Aphasia
• Stroke

Intervention

Device:
• transcranial direct current stimulation
1 mV for 20 min (verum conditions: anodal and cathodal)or 30 seconds (placebo condition: sham) during language learning , active electrode over primary motor cortex of language dominant hemisphere, reference electrode over contralateral supraorbital area

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Germany	University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Neurology	Hamburg	HH

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf	German Research Foundation

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Germany, 

References & Publications (1)

Branscheidt M, Hoppe J, Freundlieb N, Zwitserlood P, Liuzzi G. tDCS Over the Motor Cortex Shows Differential Effects on Action and Object Words in Associative Word Learning in Healthy Aging. Front Aging Neurosci. 2017 May 15;9:137. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2017 — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	learning of new action words measured as learned words/all words in %		immediately after intervention and after 1 week

External Links

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