CILT + HD-tDCS as a Potential Treatment for Primary Progressive Aphasia

Primary Progressive Aphasia, or PPA, is a neurodegenerative disease that affects language abilities. A person with PPA may have difficulties speaking, understanding speech, reading, or writing, and these difficulties worsen over time.The purpose of this study is to determine whether a form of non-invasive brain stimulation called High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (or HD-tDCS) can be used as a therapeutic technique, in combination with Constraint-Induced Language Therapy (CILT) to improve the language symptoms of PPA.

HD-tDCS uses a mild electrical current, about the same strength as a 9-volt battery, to stimulate regions of the brain from outside the head. This is performed using small electrodes placed on the scalp using an elastic band that help conduct the electrical signal into the brain. TDCS changes how responsive certain regions of the brain can be (i.e., more or less responsive). CILT is a form of speech therapy that focuses on improving speech production.

This study will use HD-tDCS combined with CILT to try to increase how responsive the language areas of the brain can be, in order to determine whether this type of stimulation can help enhance the benefits of CILT.