Using an electric current in the brain to rehabilitate a patient with speech difficulties

Use of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in the rehabilitation of patients with Aphasia

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Phase 2

Study type

Interventional

Source

REBEC

Registry ID

RBR-10c878rd

Enrollment

Unknown

Registered

2026-01-27

Start date

2023-08-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-02-02

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Aphasia

Interventions

This is a randomized, blinded, crossover clinical study. All participants will be exposed to two conditions of transcutaneous direct current spinal cord stimulation (tsDCS), associated with speech the

Eligibility

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Men and women; aged over 18. Native speakers of Brazilian Portuguese. Diagnosis of non-fluent aphasia resulting from a single episode of stroke in the left hemisphere. Premorbidly right-handed. Chronic phase of the lesion (> 6 months). Performance below 70% in the task of oral naming of nouns and verbs

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Previous diagnosis of communication, speech or language disorders prior to the current condition. Comorbidities involving the spinal cord. Psychiatric disorders. Uncontrolled seizures. Epilepsy. Increased intracranial pressure. Pregnancy. Use of a cochlear implant or implanted metallic material. Uncontrolled clinical comorbidities. Dependence on alcohol or chemical substances

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Expected outcome 1: A significant improvement in language skills is expected to be found in individuals when they receive active tDCS compared to the sham condition;Outcome found 1: The results indicated that active transcutaneous direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the spinal cord promoted significant improvements in various language skills, while the sham condition did not produce significant advances	—

Measure

Time frame

Expected outcome 1: A significant improvement in language skills is expected to be found in individuals when they receive active tDCS compared to the sham condition;Outcome found 1: The results indicated that active transcutaneous direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the spinal cord promoted significant improvements in various language skills, while the sham condition did not produce significant advances

—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Outcome found 2: An increase from an average of 2.60 at time A to 6.20 at time B was observed in the active condition, while in the simulated condition, a small gain from 4.40 at time C to 4.80 at time D was observed. These findings suggest that active transcutaneous direct current stimulation (tsDCS) of the spinal cord favored both the naming of previously trained items and untrained items	—

Countries

Brazil

Contacts

Public ContactAndressa Nicácio

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

andressa.fono@outlook.com+55 (31) 994663697

Outcome results

None listed

Source: REBEC (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 7, 2026