An interventional study of Schedule of tDCS administration in Stroke and Aphasia, sponsored by Kessler Foundation. Completed at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 80 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-08.
Sponsored by Kessler Foundation · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This study is designed for individuals with aphasia, a language disorder that affects many stroke survivors, making it difficult to read, speak, and understand language. Up to 70% of people with aphasia struggle with reading, which impacts their ability to communicate, work, and engage in daily life.
The study aims to test a new approach to reading rehabilitation by combining Phono-Motor Treatment (PMT), a language therapy adapted to improve reading, with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a safe and painless brain stimulation technique. tDCS delivers a mild electrical current to the brain, which may enhance learning. This study will assess whether adding tDCS to PMT improves reading therapy outcomes.
This study aims to improve reading rehabilitation for individuals with aphasia, a language disorder that affects many stroke survivors. The goal is to determine whether adding transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a safe and painless brain stimulation technique, to Phono-Motor Treatment (PMT), a language therapy adapted for reading, enhances treatment effectiveness.
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups, each receiving different combinations of PMT and tDCS over six weeks. Some will receive active tDCS at different points in therapy, while others will receive a placebo (sham) version. By comparing how the timing of tDCS affects reading improvement, this study aims to optimize treatment strategies for individuals with aphasia.
Reading and language skills will be assessed before, during, and after treatment using standardized tests to measure progress. The study will take place at two sites: Kessler Foundation and the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), where participants will complete therapy sessions.
Findings from this research may help develop more effective and accessible treatments for stroke survivors with aphasia, improving their ability to read and communicate.
8,255 studies on the registry are indexed under Stroke; 2,056 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 6 is below the median of 49 across 6,024 interventional studies indexed under Stroke.
Browse Stroke studies →Kessler Foundation is the lead sponsor of 175 studies on the registry; 61 are open to participants now.
Of its 5 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 0 (0%) have results posted.
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Exclusion Criteria:
of tDCS or MRI
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.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
This group will undergo Active tDCS + PMT for weeks 1-3 and Sham tDCS + PMT for weeks 4-6.
Device: Schedule of tDCS administration
This group will undergo Sham tDCS + PMT for weeks 1-3 and Active tDCS + PMT for weeks 4-6.
Device: Schedule of tDCS administration
This group will receive PMT + Active/Sham tDCS on alternate days for 6 weeks.
Device: Schedule of tDCS administration
This study evaluates the combined effects of Phono-Motor Treatment (PMT) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for reading rehabilitation in post-stroke aphasia. Unlike standard speech therapy, this intervention integrates non-invasive brain stimulation to enhance language recovery by modulating neural activity in perilesional areas. We hypothesize that active tDCS will enhance PMT efficacy, leading to greater improvements in reading competence and phonological processing compared to sham tDCS. Through systematic testing across the 3 study arms, we expect to identify the most effective stimulation timing.
Reading aloud accuracy
Participants will read words and pronounceable pseudowords that appear one at a time on the computer screen. Each testing session will be audio recorded and independently scored by 2 raters, with ties resolved by a 3rd rater.
Time frame: before treatment, midway through treatment, and immediately after treatment
Reading Comprehension Battery for Aphasia 2nd Edition
Participants will complete a standardized language assessment.
Time frame: before treatment, midway through treatment, and immediately after treatment
Western Aphasia Battery
Participants will complete a standardized language assessment.
Time frame: before treatment, midway through treatment, and immediately after treatment
Plan to share: Undecided
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This study is completed, as verified in May 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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