Behavioural and neurophysiological responses to written naming treatment and high definition tDCS: a case study in advanced primary progressive aphasia

作者：Priyanka P. Shah‐Basak, Alita Fernandez, Sabrina E.M. Armstrong, Benazir Hodzic-Santor, Monica Lavoie, Regina Jokel, Jed A. Meltzer · 发表于：Aphasiology · 年份：2021 · DOI：10.1080/02687038.2021.1959015 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism、EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces、Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies

Background: Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is associated with progressive loss of language functions in the context of irreversible neurodegeneration, for which there is no cure. Speech-language therapy can help preserve language abilities, and most promisingly, interventions like transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have been shown to augment the effectiveness of therapy. However, the underlying mechanism for this enhancement is unknown.Objectives: We evaluated the behavioural and physiological (using resting-state magnetoencephalography [rsMEG]) effects of contemporary naming treatment provided with tDCS in a patient with an advanced case of nonfluent variant PPA (P01; 67 year old male). P01 was mute but had preserved written abilities, which we aimed to enhance with written naming therapy and excitatory or anodal-tDCS. We hypothesized greater improvement in written performance, particularly immediate gains, maintenance, and generalization, after anodal- than sham-tDCS. Additionally, reductions in oscillatory abnormal activity, as indicated by rsMEG, were expected after repeated sessions of anodal-tDCS with the naming treatment.Methods: A written picture naming therapy was paired with five sessions of anodal and five sessions of sham high-definition tDCS over two weeks. Anatomical and neurophysiological abnormalities were mapped with structural-MRI and rsMEG, respectively. TDCS was targeted towards an anatomically intact left supramarginal gyrus. The therapy-in...