title: Transcranial direct current stimulation improves naming reaction time in fluent aphasia: a double-blind, sham-controlled study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous evidence suggests that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (A-tDCS) applied to the left hemisphere can improve aphasic participants' ability to name common objects. The current study further examined this issue in a more tightly controlled experiment in participants with fluent aphasia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the effect of A-tDCS on reaction time during overt picture naming in 8 chronic stroke participants. Anode electrode placement targeted perilesional brain regions that showed the greatest activation on a pretreatment functional MRI scan administered during overt picture naming with the reference cathode electrode placed on the contralateral forehead. A-tDCS (1 mA; 20-minute) was compared with sham tDCS (S-tDCS) in a crossover design. Participants received 10 sessions of computerized anomia treatment; 5 sessions included A-tDCS and 5 included S-tDCS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Coupling A-tDCS with behavioral language treatment reduced reaction time during naming of trained items immediately posttreatment (Z=1.96, P=0.025) and at subsequent testing 3 weeks later (Z=2.52, P=0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A-tDCS administered during language treatment decreased processing time during picture naming by fluent aphasic participants. Additional studies combining A-tDCS, an inexpensive method with no reported serious side effects, with behavioral language therapy are recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29201, USA. jfridrik@sc.edu
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fridriksson
authors.forename: Jessica D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Julie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rorden
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001041:Aphasia, Wernicke / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*