An interventional study of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) in Primary Progressive Aphasia and Apraxia of Speech, sponsored by The University of Texas at Dallas. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 85 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-08.
Sponsored by The University of Texas at Dallas · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The purpose of the study is to test whether low level electric stimulation, called transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), on the part of the brain (i.e., pre-supplementary motor area and left inferior frontal gyrus) thought to aid in memory will improve speech and language difficulties in patients with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and progressive apraxia of speech (PAOS). The primary outcome measures are neuropsychological assessments of speech and language functions, and the secondary measures are neuropsychological assessments of other cognitive abilities and electroencephalography (EEG) measures.
This pilot study has one treatment arm with open-label treatment and will examine improvement of speech output, verbal fluency, and other cognitive deficits associated with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and progressive apraxia of speech (PAOS), by utilizing 1 milliamp transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) active treatment applied to pre-supplementary motor area or left inferior frontal gyrus for 20 minutes over 10 sessions. There will be baseline testing, and follow up testing immediately after and 8 weeks after completion of treatment.
All patients with a clinical diagnosis of PPA or PAOS will be assigned to either one of the two open-label arms to receive active tDCS. Primary outcome speech and language measures, secondary neuropsychological and electroencephalography (EEG) measures, and pre-screening assessments for study medical history and contraindications for treatment will be collected prior to the treatment (i.e., baseline).
Primary outcome speech and language functions measures and secondary neuropsychological and electroencephalography (EEG) measures will be collected after treatment session 10 and following treatment competition (i.e., 8-week).
77 studies on the registry are indexed under Aphasia, Primary Progressive; 29 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 12 is below the median of 30 across 60 interventional studies indexed under Aphasia, Primary Progressive.
Browse Aphasia, Primary Progressive studies →The University of Texas at Dallas is the lead sponsor of 60 studies on the registry; 19 are open to participants now.
Of its 17 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 15 (88%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
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Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
This open-label treatment will examine improvement of speech output, verbal fluency, and other cognitive deficits associated with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and progressive apraxia of speech (PAOS), by utilizing 1 milliamp transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) active treatment applied to pre-supplementary motor area for 20 minutes over 10 sessions. There will be baseline testing, and follow up testing immediately after and 8 weeks after completion of treatment.
Device: high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)
This open-label treatment will examine improvement of speech output, verbal fluency, and other cognitive deficits associated with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and progressive apraxia of speech (PAOS), by utilizing 1 milliamp transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) active treatment applied to left inferior frontal gyrus for 20 minutes over 10 sessions. There will be baseline testing, and follow up testing immediately after and 8 weeks after completion of treatment.
Device: high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)
Other Names: tDCS 1 milliamp tDCS High definition tDCS High definition transcranial direct current stimulator, Neuroelectrics Starstim tES, SN E20200930-10 Transcranial direct current stimulation will be delivered via a Neuroelectrics Starstim tES. Stimulation will consist of 1 milliamp stimulation, with (1) Pre-SMA stimulation arm -- anodal stimulation delivered at electrode Fz (International 10/10 System for electroencephalography electrode placement) and electrodes F7, FP1, FP2, and F8 as returns or (2) LIFG stimulation arm -- at electrode F7 (International 10/10 System for electroencephalography electrode placement) and electrodes T7, FP1, AF3, and FC5 as returns. All electrodes are 1 cm diameter Ag/AgCl electrodes and make contact with the scalp via connective gel. Stimulation will linearly ramp up from 0 milliamps to 1 milliamp over 60 seconds, then remain at 1 milliamp of stimulation over 20 minutes, and finally ramping down at to 0 milliamps over 60 seconds.
The Controlled Oral Word Association Test
Evaluation of treatment differences in change on the Control Word Association Test Benton, L.A., Hamsher, K., \& Sivan, A.B., (1994). Multilingual aphasia examination. Iowa City: AJA Associates.
Time frame: Treatment change from Baseline to Immediate post, and 8 weeks post treatment completion.
Category Fluency
Evaluation of treatment differences in change on Category Fluency Benton, L.A., Hamsher, K., \& Sivan, A.B., (1994). Multilingual aphasia examination. Iowa City: AJA Associates.
Time frame: Treatment change from Baseline to Immediate post, and 8 weeks post treatment completion.
The Boston Naming Test
Evaluation of treatment differences in change on The Boston Naming Test (accuracy and speech latency) Kaplan, E., Goodglass, H., \& Weintraub, S., (1983). Boston Naming Test (2nd ed.). Lea \& Febiger: Philadelphia.
Time frame: Treatment change from Baseline to Immediate post, and 8 weeks post treatment completion.
Spontaneous speech (content and fluency) of the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised
Evaluation of treatment differences in change on Spontaneous speech (content and fluency) of the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised Kertesz, Andrew. ( 1982). The Western aphasia battery. New York :Grune \& Stratton.
Time frame: Treatment change from Baseline to Immediate post, and 8 weeks post treatment completion.
The Apraxia battery for Adults - 2 (ABA - 2)
Evaluation of treatment differences in change on characteristics of articulation of the the Apraxia battery for Adults - 2 Dabul, B. L. (2000). Apraxia Battery for Adults (ABA-2) (2nd edn). Austin, TX: ProEd.
Time frame: Treatment change from Baseline to Immediate post, and 8 weeks post treatment completion.
The Trail Making Test (Part A & B)
Evaluation of treatment differences in change on The Trail Making Test (Part A \& B) Reitan, R.M., (1958). Validity of the Trail Making Test as an indicator of organic brain damage. Percept. Motor Skill., 8, 271-276.
Time frame: Treatment change from Baseline to Immediate post, and 8 weeks post treatment completion.
The Digit Span Forward & Backward
Evaluation of treatment differences in change on The Digit Span Forward \& Backward Wechsler, D., (2008). Wechsler adult intelligence scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). San Antonio, TX: NCS Pearson.
Time frame: Treatment change from Baseline to Immediate post, and 8 weeks post treatment completion.
The Digit Symbol Substitution Test
Evaluation of treatment differences in change on The Digit Symbol Substitution Test Wechsler, D., (2008). Wechsler adult intelligence scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). San Antonio, TX: NCS Pearson.
Time frame: Treatment change from Baseline to Immediate post, and 8 weeks post treatment completion.
The Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised
Evaluation of treatment differences in change on The Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised Benedict, R. H. B., Schretlen, D., Groninger, L., \& Brandt, J. (1998). The Hopkins verbal learning test-revised: Normative data and analysis of interform and test-retest reliability. Clinical Neuropsychologist, 12, 43-55.
Time frame: Treatment change from Baseline to Immediate post, and 8 weeks post treatment completion.
The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test
Evaluation of treatment differences in change on The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test Rey, A. (1941). L'examen psychologique dans les cas d'encéphalopathie traumatique. (Les problems.). \[The psychological examination in cases of traumatic encepholopathy. Problems.\]. Archives de Psychologie, 28, 215- 285.
Time frame: Treatment change from Baseline to Immediate post, and 8 weeks post treatment completion.
Started Jun 2022 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Apr 2027, 58 months after the start.
Of 38 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Aphasia, Primary Progressive, half reached primary completion within 41 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 26 and three quarters within 59. This study's planned 58 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 38 studies reached it within 41 months; a quarter within 26 and three quarters within 59.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in May 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Aphasia, Primary Progressive →
The University of Texas at Dallas