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Using Non-invasive Brain Stimulation to Treat Word Finding Difficulty in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury

Using High Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Treat Verbal Retrieval Deficits Secondary to Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury (STIM-CTBI)

Who can join

Ages 18 to 85 · All sexes

Inclusion Criteria:

* Age between 18 and 85
* Fluent in speaking and reading English
* Able to provide informed consent
* Has a TBI at least one year prior to enrollment and not related to military experience
* Has a confirmation of verbal retrieval difficulties as measured by the Verbal Retrieval Difficulty Interview questions

Exclusion Criteria:

* Lifetime major or active neurologic conditions (e.g., stroke, epilepsy, brain tumor, dementia, seizure occurrence less than one year ago)
* Lifetime major or active cardiovascular conditions (e.g., cardiac arrythmia, heart failure, heart attack)
* Current substance use disorder
* Lifetime major psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder)
* Severe depression at the time of enrollment (BDI-II \>= 29) or psychiatric ER visits or hospitalization less than 6 months ago prior to enrollment
* Current sensory (e.g., blind, deaf) or physical (e.g., severe motor weakness) impairment that interferes with testing
* Contraindications for tDCS or MRI
* The person cannot be left alone for 8+ hours.
* Not verbally communicative.
* Currently undergoing and not wishing to discontinue speech and cognitive therapy during study participation.
* Incapable of understanding the consent or unable to consent for oneself.
* Unable to travel to BIDMC's Berenson-Allen Center
* Pregnancy

About the study

The purpose of this study is to learn more about how brain stimulation affects word finding problems in people who have a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The type of brain stimulation used is called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). tDCS delivers low levels of electric current to the brain and high definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) delivers the current with multiple electrodes on the scalp. This current is delivered with HD-tDCS to parts of the brain that may help with remembering things. The investigators hope that this can help to improve word finding and memory problems in people with TBI.

What is being tested

• Active Transcranial direct current stimulation (device)
• Sham Transcranial direct current stimulation (device)

Sponsor: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · Participants: 24 · Started: Oct 1, 2025

Contact the study team

• Iris Hall, BS · Phone: 617-667-0289

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT06848140

Locations in the U.S.

Conditions

• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Brain Injuries

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Oct 2, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.