Enhancing Language Function in Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA)
Primary Progressive Aphasia
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Primary Progressive Aphasia
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- diagnosed with PPA by neurologist or speech-language pathologist
- speech-language deficit arising from PPA
- native speaker of English Language or equivalent
- adequate vision (normal or corrected to normal)
- adequate hearing
Exclusion Criteria:
- meeting (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) DSM-IV criteria for Axis I mood, anxiety, psychotic or substance abuse disorders.
- highly magnetizable metallic implants, including certain dental work
- neurological disorders besides the ones of interest for the study (e.g., epilepsy)
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson's Disease
- contraindications for MRI
- pacemakers
- metallic cardiac pumps
- valves
- magnetic materials such as surgical clips, implanted electronic perfusion pumps, or any other condition that would preclude proximity to a strong magnetic field.
- clinically significant claustrophobia
- severe systemic disease (e.g., renal failure)
- poor health
- pregnancy
- epileptic activity in the past 12 months
- family history of epilepsy or other seizure disorders
- brain surgery in the past
- metallic skull plates or implants
- skin lesions or skull damage
- excessive use of alcohol or drugs
- premorbid psychiatric disease affecting communication
- severe non-linguistic cognitive disturbances impeding language therapy
Sites / Locations
- University of ArizonaRecruiting
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Sham Comparator
active TDCS
sham TDCS
During intervention excitatory/anodal tDCS will be administered alongside speech-language therapy 5 days a week for 2 weeks. The exact location of the stimulation and electrode configuration will be targeted individually based on the optimal site identified in fMRI. TDCS will be administered with NeurConn1 Channel DC- Stimulator Plus (neuroCare Group, München, Germany) according to established guidelines and procedures. The active tDCS will be delivered for 20 minutes using sponge electrodes with a 30-s ramp-up and ramp-down period
The sham will be administered alongside speech-language therapy 5 days a week for 2 weeks. For sham, stimulation will be ramped up and then down to 0 milliamperes (mA) in the first minute of stimulation. The sham parameters were chosen based on previous reports that the perceived sensations on the skin, such as tingling, fade out in the first 30 s of tDCS