Aphasia, Cerebrovascular Accident
Conditions
Keywords
language acquisition, plasticity, stroke recovery, aphasia treatment, naming, levodopa, stroke
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to determine whether levodopa, in combination with a high frequency language training, is effective in boosting naming performance in patients with aphasia.
Detailed description
Our prior work shows that d-amphetamine and the dopamine precursor levodopa markedly improve word learning success in healthy subjects. In this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial, we probe whether daily administration of levodopa, coupled with several hours of language training every day, will significantly improve naming abilities in patients with aphasia as compared to placebo administration. We furthermore examine with magnetic resonance imaging which brain regions need to be functionally intact for a dopaminergic improvement of language therapy.
Interventions
DRUGlevodopa
100mg levodopa per day over 10 days/ treatment phase
Sponsors
German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
University Hospital Muenster
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
for patients with aphasia: * Unilateral cerebrovascular accident (stroke) in the territory of the arteria media * Time post onset: \> 6 months * Aphasia with anomia * Age between 18-75 years * Premorbid right-handedness * Primary language: German
Exclusion criteria
for patients and healthy controls: * Known allergy to levodopa or tartrazine * History of medication/drug abuse * Acute nicotine withdrawal or \> 15 cigarettes per day * \> 6 cups/glasses of coffee, caffeine drinks or energy drinks per day * \> 50 grams of alcohol per day * Severe hypertonia (systole \>180 mm Hg) * Severe arteriosclerosis * Diabetes, asthma, or glaucoma * Severe hearing disability * Evidence for severe hippocampal damage * Premorbid depression or psychosis * Medication with dopamine agonists or antagonists * Parkinsonian symptoms * Changes in anticonvulsive medication during the week prior to study enrollment
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Boost in naming performance (percent correct) through levodopa as compared to placebo | immediately after each treatmentphase |
| Brain activity pattern in successfully trained patients | immediately after each treatmentphase |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Stability of naming performance after one month and six months post treatment | from 1 month untill 6 months after treatment completion |
Countries
Germany
Outcome results
None listed