Does Right-Hemispheric Anodal tDCS Enhance the Impact of Script Training in Chronic Aphasia? A Single-Subject Experimental Study.
Mathieu Figeys, Esther Sung Kim, Tammy Hopper
PMID 36188817WHAT IT FOUND
Script training alone helped a man with severe aphasia master two conversations.
Adding right-brain electrical stimulation did not improve his accuracy or speed compared to the sham treatment. The training itself was effective, but the brain stimulation provided no extra benefit.
Key findings
01The participant achieved script mastery faster with the second script (five sessions) than the first (six sessions), but statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the active stimulation and sham conditions.
02Script accuracy improved significantly during both treatment phases, with large effect sizes observed for both the sham and active stimulation conditions.
03There was no significant difference in how well the scripts were retained over time between the active stimulation and sham conditions.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study involved only one participant, so the results cannot be generalized to other people with aphasia. The scripts may have been too easy, creating a ceiling effect that masked any potential small benefits of the stimulation. Sessions were not consecutive, which may have allowed the effects of the stimulation to wear off between visits. The researchers were not blinded to the treatment conditions because the sham phase was always conducted first.
Declared interests
The authors declared no commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that tDCS is ineffective for all aphasia treatments or all patients. This study tested only one specific montage (right inferior frontal gyrus) and one participant with a large left-hemisphere lesion. The lack of benefit here does not rule out potential advantages in other stimulation sites or patient profiles.