Post-stroke AphasiaNCT07700537
Efficacy and Neural Mechanisms of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Targeting the Supplementary Motor Area for the Treatment of Subacute Post-stroke Aphasia
A study testing transcranial direct current stimulation in people with Post-stroke Aphasia, run by The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
This study aims to investigate the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in patients with post-stroke aphasia (PSA) and to explore its potential neural mechanisms. The study will recruit PSA patients and provide them with 14 tDCS sessions over 7 days, along with speech therapy. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 80 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Post-stroke Aphasia
- What is being tested?
- transcranial direct current stimulation
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 30 Jul 2025to 31 Jan 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 80 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients must be between 18 and 80 years of age
- First stroke in the left hemisphere
- Stroke onset within the past 12 weeks
- Native Chinese speakers who were able to communicate normally prior to onset
- Diagnosed with aphasia using the ABC scale
- Right-handed
- Informed consent obtained from the patient and family members
Who cannot join
- Time since stroke onset exceeds 12 weeks
- History of psychiatric or neurological disorders
- History of surgery for severe head trauma, brain tumors, or brain abscesses
- Severe articulation disorders
- Claustrophobia or implants incompatible with MRI
- Inability to cooperate with language scale testing or fMRI scanning
- History of previous stroke
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
China1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
Hefei, Anhui
Jian Guan, +86-19810696998, 1003935828@qq.com
About this study
Official title: Study on the Efficacy and Neural Mechanisms of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Targeting the Supplementary Motor Area for the Treatment of Subacute Post-stroke Aphasia
This study aims to investigate the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in patients with post-stroke aphasia (PSA) and to explore its potential neural mechanisms. The study will recruit PSA patients and provide them with 14 tDCS sessions over 7 days, along with speech therapy. Language Behavior Scale scores and resting-state functional MRI scans will be collected before and after the intervention. In addition, a retrospective comparison will be conducted of language function and resting-state fMRI changes in a group of PSA patients who received only speech therapy; these patients did not undergo any physical intervention but received only speech therapy. Changes in Language Behavior Scale scores and functional connectivity (FC) before and after treatment in the speech therapy-only group will be analyzed and compared with those in the tDCS intervention group.
- Conditions
- Post-stroke Aphasia
- Being tested
- transcranial direct current stimulation
- Keywords
- post-stroke aphasia, supplementary motor area, transcranial direct current stimulation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
transcranial direct current stimulationOther
As a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, tDCS offers advantages such as convenience, safety, and low cost. Its mechanism of action involves regulating neuronal activity in the brain by applying a weak direct current to the scalp.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| tDCS group | Experimental | PSA patients enrolled in the tDCS group received tDCS treatment twice daily for 7 consecutive days, along with 7 days of speech-language therapy. The current intensity was 2 mA, and each treatment session lasted 20 minutes. Receives: Other: transcranial direct current stimulation |
| The speech-language therapy group | No intervention | The speech-language therapy group received only 7 days of speech-language therapy. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Aphasia quotient (AQ)
The Aphasia Battery of Chinese (ABC) is a standardized Chinese adaptation of the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB). The Aphasia Quotient (AQ) is a composite score that reflects the overall severity of language impairment. The AQ score ranges from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 100. Higher scores indicate better language function (i.e., less severe impairment).
Measured: Baseline, immediately after all interventions have ended
Secondary outcomes (1)
rs-fMRI
Measured: Baseline, immediately after all interventions have ended
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Jul 2026
- Study start30 Jul 2025
- Primary completion1 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Jan 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Post-stroke AphasiaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Panpan Hu, MD, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07700537
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- AHMU-tDCS-PSA
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 8 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 17 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data will not be shared with other researchers due to patient privacy protection and the limitations of the informed consent form.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Study on the Efficacy and Neural Mechanisms of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Targeting the Supplementary Motor Area for the Treatment of Subacute Post-stroke Aphasia
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07700537
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- AHMU-tDCS-PSA
- Conditions
- Post-stroke Aphasia
- Keywords
- post-stroke aphasia, supplementary motor area, transcranial direct current stimulation
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 30 Jul 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 14 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study aims to investigate the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in patients with post-stroke aphasia (PSA) and to explore its potential neural mechanisms. The study will recruit PSA patients and provide them with 14 tDCS sessions over 7 days, along with speech therapy. Language Behavior Scale scores and resting-state functional MRI scans will be collected before and after the intervention. In addition, a retrospective comparison will be conducted of language function and resting-state fMRI changes in a group of PSA patients who received only speech therapy; these patients did not undergo any physical intervention but received only speech therapy. Changes in Language Behavior Scale scores and functional connectivity (FC) before and after treatment in the speech therapy-only group will be analyzed and compared with those in the tDCS intervention group.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| tDCS group | Experimental | Other: transcranial direct current stimulationPSA patients enrolled in the tDCS group received tDCS treatment twice daily for 7 consecutive days, along with 7 days of speech-language therapy. The current intensity was 2 mA, and each treatment session lasted 20 minutes. |
| The speech-language therapy group | No intervention | –The speech-language therapy group received only 7 days of speech-language therapy. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Patients must be between 18 and 80 years of age
- First stroke in the left hemisphere
- Stroke onset within the past 12 weeks
- Native Chinese speakers who were able to communicate normally prior to onset
- Diagnosed with aphasia using the ABC scale
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Time since stroke onset exceeds 12 weeks
- History of psychiatric or neurological disorders
- History of surgery for severe head trauma, brain tumors, or brain abscesses
- Severe articulation disorders
- Claustrophobia or implants incompatible with MRI
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| transcranial direct current stimulationAs a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, tDCS offers advantages such as convenience, safety, and low cost. Its mechanism of action involves regulating neuronal activity in the brain by applying a weak direct current to the scalp. | Other | tDCS group |
Primary outcome
Aphasia quotient (AQ)
Time frame: Baseline, immediately after all interventions have ended
The Aphasia Battery of Chinese (ABC) is a standardized Chinese adaptation of the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB). The Aphasia Quotient (AQ) is a composite score that reflects the overall severity of language impairment. The AQ score ranges from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 100. Higher scores indicate better language function (i.e., less severe impairment).
1 secondary outcome
rs-fMRI
Time frame: Baseline, immediately after all interventions have ended
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Individual participant data will not be shared with other researchers due to patient privacy protection and the limitations of the informed consent form.
Related trials for Post-stroke Aphasia
Not yet recruiting
Restoring Speech With an Intracortical Neuroprosthesis for Post-Stroke Agrammatic Aphasia (BG-Aphasia-02)
Aphasia, ALS
Not yet recruiting
Cerebellar Brain Stimulation Plus Language Therapy for People at Risk of Poor Aphasia Recovery After Stroke
Aphasia, Stroke
Not yet recruitingObservational study
Detecting and Predicting Post-stroke Cognitive Impairment Using the Oxford Cognitive Screen
Stroke, Ischemic Stroke
Recruiting
Music Therapy for Rehabilitation in Post-stroke Non-fluent Aphasia: the Indian Adaptation
Stroke Rehabilitation, Aphasia, Broca
Recruiting
Sensory-Motor Integration for Speech Rehabilitation in Patients With Post-stroke Aphasia
Aphasia Non Fluent, Stroke
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing transcranial direct current stimulation in people with Post-stroke Aphasia, run by The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University at 1 site in China.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Jian Guan (+86-19810696998, 1003935828@qq.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Aphasia quotient (AQ) (time frame: Baseline, immediately after all interventions have ended). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Jul 2026.