Cerebellar Stimulation for Aphasia Rehabilitation (CeSAR)

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Principal Investigator: Rajani Sebastian

Institution: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Location: Baltimore, MD, US

Study ends by: 09/01/27

What is the research about?

This study will investigate whether multiple sessions of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) boosts language therapy in helping people recover from aphasia
Participants complete baseline testing and attend an MRI to determine eligibility
Eligible participants receive 15 hour-long sessions of one-on-one speech therapy
Half of participants will receive non-invasive brain stimulation (tDCS) during the speech therapy sessions and the other half will receive sham
Participants complete post-treatment testing as well as 1-month, 3-month- and 6-month follow up testing to assess language skills after treatment

Where does this research study take place? Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD

Can I participate virtually? No

Who is this study for?

Chronic ischemic or hemorrhagic left hemisphere stroke
Fluent speaker of English by self-report
Age 18 or older
6 months post onset of stroke
Diagnosis of aphasia and naming impairment using the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised

Who is this study not for?

Lesion in the right cerebellum
Previous neurological disorder (other than stroke) affecting the brain, or any other neurodegenerative disorder or psychiatric disorder
Seizures during the previous 6 months
Uncorrected visual loss or hearing loss by self-report
Use of medications that lower the seizure threshold (e.g., methylphenidate)
Use of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists (e.g., memantine)
>80% correct response on the Philadelphia Naming Testing at baseline
History of brain surgery or any metal in the head
Severely impaired auditory comprehension (lower than 2 on the Comprehension subscore on the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised)
Severely limited verbal output (lower than 2 on the Spontaneous Speech rating scale on the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised)

Will I be compensated for this study, or are there costs?

$50 per treatment session up to $750 total paid by check. Additional funding available for travel/lodging costs for out-of-state participants available. Please inquire with study contact for further information.