About this trial
This project aims to tailor repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) target to the clinical profile of post-stroke aphasia, specifically focusing on lexicosemantic impairments, to enhance recovery. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) will provide critical insights into the effects of facilitatory versus inhibitory stimulation on interhemispheric balance. Additionally, this study will generate new data on how lesion localization and brain connectivity influence individual responses to rTMS, explaining variability in treatment efficacy.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Right-handedness (assesed using the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory)
Native English speakers
Single left hemispheric stroke
Diagnosis of aphasia and lexicosemantic impairments (e.g., anomia, semantic errors in picture naming or spontaneous speech) confirmed by a Speech and Language Pathologist or Physician
Disqualifiers
Severely impaired auditory comprehension (WAB Comprehension score of 0 or 1)
Major phonological impairments (defined as > 2 errors in non-word repetition of one- and two-syllable items on the PALPA, 2)
Contraindications to rTMS (e.g., uncontrolled epilepsy, history of seizures, intracranial ferromagnetic body, cochlear implant, or factors that lower seizure threshold (see Rossi et al., 2021)
Contraindication to MRI
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- continuous Theta Burst Stimulation
- intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Sham
- Semantic Feature Analysis
Treatment groups
Sponsors and collaborators
University of South Carolina
Lead sponsor
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Collaborator