Abstract Details

Title Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Improves Verbal Fluency in Patients with Primary Progressive Aphasia

Topic Aging, Dementia, and Behavioral Neurology

Presentation(s) P4 - Poster Session 4 (5:30 PM-6:30 PM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 9-013

Objective

This study explores the effects of left hemisphere transcranial direct current stimulation on language production deficits observed in the non-fluent/agrammatic (naPPA) and logopenic (lvPPA) variants of Primary Progressive Aphasias.

Background

Primary Progressive Aphasias (PPA) refer to the collection of gradual language deficits that result from neurodegenerative dementias such as Alzheimer’s Disease. There are three variants of PPAs. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a form of neuromodulation therapy that uses direct electrical current to stimulate specific parts of the brain. Prior studies suggest that tDCS could play a role in ameliorating the language deficits that characterize PPAs.

Design/Methods

Six participants (3 lvPP; 3 naPPA) participated in a randomized, sham-controlled full-crossover study in which they received 10 daily sessions of tDCS (1.5 mA; 20 minutes; 5x5cm electrodes). The anode was placed over left prefrontal region and the cathode over left occipital region. Participants performed a battery of clinical language tests at four time points: prior to receiving sham/real tDCS, immediately after 10 days of stimulation, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after stimulation. Separate two-way ANOVAs were used to analyze the effects GROUP (tDCS, sham) and TIME (pre-stim, post-stim, 6-weeks, 12-weeks) for each study measure.

Results

In Category Fluency test which is a measure of verbal fluency subjects with both naPPA and lvPPA showed a significant GROUPxTIME interaction (p=0.026), suggesting that subjects receiving tDCS showed a significant benefit in performance over time. Moreover, we evaluated subjects’ performance relative to their individual baseline performance to correct for baseline variability across subjects prior to receiving stimulation. Repeated measures ANOVA showed a significant GROUP effect (p=0.021) after accounting for baseline performance.

Conclusions

tDCS may ameliorate deficits of verbal fluency in PPA syndromes wherein verbal fluency is especially affected (lvPPA and naPPA). This may have implications for stratifying subjects and predicting treatment response in patients with PPA who undergo tDCS.

Authors/Disclosures
Mahdieh Hosseini, MD PRESENTER	No disclosure on file
Eric McConathey	No disclosure on file
Molly B. Ungrady (Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center)	No disclosure on file
Murray Grossman, MD, FAAN (University of Pennsylvania)	Dr. Grossman has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for Neurology. The institution of Dr. Grossman has received research support from NIH.
Harry B. Coslett, MD, FAAN (Univ of Pennsylvania)	The institution of Dr. Coslett has received research support from NIDCD, NINDS, NIA. Dr. Coslett has received publishing royalties from a publication relating to health care.
Roy H. Hamilton, MD, MS, FANA, FAAN	Dr. Hamilton has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Highland Instruments. Dr. Hamilton has received personal compensation in the range of $0-$499 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Cognito Therapeutics. Dr. Hamilton has received personal compensation in the range of $10,000-$49,999 for serving as an officer or member of the Board of Directors for McKnight Brain Research Foundation. The institution of Dr. Hamilton has received research support from NIH. The institution of Dr. Hamilton has received research support from Department of Defense. The institution of Dr. Hamilton has received research support from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

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