Effect of Anodic Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined With Speech Language Therapy on Nonfluent Poststroke Aphasia

Objectives Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) facilitates or inhibits spontaneous neuronal activity by low-intensity current. In this study, we evaluated the effects of tDCS and sham stimulation combined with speech language therapy (SLT) on nonfluent poststroke aphasia (PSA) patients. Materials and Methods Patients with PSA were randomly divided into the anode tDCS (A-tDCS) group (n = 8) and sham tDCS (S-tDCS) group (n = 10). The anodes and cathodes were fixed over left inferior gyrus frontalis (L-IFG) and the deltoid muscle of the right shoulder. A-tDCS consisted of 2 mA for 20 min, while S-tDCS current started at 2 mA but automatically decreased to 0 mA after 30 sec. Stimulation was concurrent with 30 min of SLT. Stimulation + SLT sessions occurred five times a week for four weeks. The Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) was given before treatment to obtain the baseline score and once more after all sessions were completed, and the Aphasia Quotient (AQ) was calculated. Results After tDCS treatment, the AQ mean(SD) in both groups was significantly higher than before treatment (p < 0.001) and the AQ of the A-tDCS group 72.99 (21.91) was significantly higher than that of the S-tDCS group 46.18 (19.29) (t = 2.760, p < 0.05). Upon further analysis of the WAB subscores, except for comprehension, all other items were significantly higher in the A-tDCS group than in the S-tDCS group (p < 0.05). Conclusion Our results suggest that left inferior gyrus frontalis anodic transcranial direct current stimulation is an effective adjuvant to conventional speech language therapy for patients with nonfluent PSA.

Automated summary

The study evaluated the effects of tDCS combined with speech language therapy on nonfluent poststroke aphasia patients. After tDCS treatment, the AQ mean in the A-tDCS group was significantly higher than in the S-tDCS group. Overall, the results suggest that left inferior gyrus frontalis anodic tDCS is an effective adjuvant to conventional speech language therapy for nonfluent PSA patients.