Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation + Language Therapy to Treat Subacute Aphasia
Electrical Field Guided Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Treat Subacute Post-stroke Aphasia
Who can join
Ages 18 to 85 · All sexes
Full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Left hemisphere stroke resulting in aphasia * The stroke must have occurred between 2 and 6 weeks prior to enrollment * Must be able to understand the nature of the study, and give informed consent * English proficiency * Right-handed Exclusion Criteria: * History of serious and/or ongoing issues with substance abuse * Previous head trauma with loss of consciousness for more than 5 minutes * History of major psychiatric illness * Dementia, or other neurological conditions * Epilepsy, or seizure after the stroke event * Pacemaker * Diagnosis of tinnitus * Pregnancy
About the study
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) combined with modified Constraint Induced Language Therapy (mCILT) is an effective treatment for aphasia when delivered in the subacute stage after stroke.
The main questions this study aims to answer are:
1. Can TMS combined with mCILT improve overall speech? 2. Can we identify specific behavioral and biological characteristics that would benefit most from the TMS and mCILT treatment?
Researchers will compare real TMS to sham (fake) TMS to see whether TMS can treat subacute aphasia.
Importantly, this trial will use electric field guided TMS to identify optimal and individualized stimulation intensity and site targeting.
Participants will:
* Complete a screening and medical intake to determine eligibility * Undergo MRI scans * Participate in 10 consecutive sessions (Monday-Friday) of TMS and mCILT treatment * Complete follow-up assessments immediately and 4 months after treatment
What is being tested
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) (device)
- Modified Constraint Induced Language Therapy (mCILT) (behavioral)
Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania · Participants: 63 · Started: Aug 1, 2024
Contact the study team
- Leslie Vnenchak, MA, CCC-SLP · Phone: 215-964-2502
- Daniela Sacchetti, MS · Phone: 215-964-2502
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT06968663
Locations in the U.S.
| Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia |
Conditions
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.