Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Improves Naming Reaction Time in Fluent Aphasia

<jats:sec> <jats:title>Background and Purpose—</jats:title> <jats:p>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.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Methods—</jats:title> <jats:p>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.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Results—</jats:title> <jats:p> Coupling A-tDCS with behavioral language treatment reduced reaction time during naming of trained items immediately posttreatment ( <jats:italic>Z</jats:italic> =1.96, <jats:italic>P</jats:italic> =0.025) and at subsequent testing 3 weeks later ( <jats:italic>Z</jats:italic> =2.52, <jats:italic>P</jats:italic> =0.006). </jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusions—</jats:title> <jats:p>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.</jats:p> </jats:sec>