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Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) for Aphasia After Stroke

This study is investigating how transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) might help people with aphasia (difficulty with language) after a stroke, as well as healthy language functions. Aphasia can make it hard to speak, understand, read, and write. Researchers believe tACS could help restore brain activity related to language. The study is looking for 50 participants, including healthy adults and stroke patients who developed aphasia at least one month ago. To be eligible, you must be between 18 and 85 years old and fluent in English. The main goals are to see if tACS changes language performance on verbal short-term memory tasks and affects brain activity immediately after 20 minutes of stimulation. The study's current status is unclear.

Study design
This is an interventional study with a planned enrollment of 50 participants. It will compare active tACS to a sham (inactive) tACS.
What's involved
Changes in language performance and brain activity will be monitored before, during, and immediately after 20 minutes of tACS.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Changes are monitored immediately after 20 minutes of tACS; longer-term follow-up is not specified.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT04375722

Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) in Aphasia

Recruiting
NAAges 18–85InterventionalTreatment
Medical College of Wisconsin
~50 participants
Updated 2026-07-29 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:tACS

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
tACS changes in language performance verbal STM tasks
Measured over Changes monitored over pre, during and immediately after 20 minutes of tACS
+1 more outcome measured

Conditions

Aphasia
Stroke

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AphasiaStroke

NCT04375722

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • Medical College of Wisconsin

    Milwaukee, Wisconsinstudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

Study leadership

  • Priyanka Shah-Basak, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Medical College of Wisconsin

Who to contact

Sidney Schoenrock, MA
[email protected]
414-955-7579 · ext. 4149557579
Email the study team

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

18 years of age or older
Fluent in English
No history of neurological or psychiatric disorders
Diagnosed with post-stroke aphasia by referring physician/neuropsychologist
Consent date \>=1 months after stroke onset
Right-handed
Fluent in English
18 years of age or older

Exclusion

Severe cognitive, auditory or visual impairments that would preclude cognitive and language testing
Presence of major untreated or unstable psychiatric disease
A chronic medical condition that is not treated or is unstable
The presence of cardiac stimulators or pacemakers
Any metal implants in the skull
Contraindications to MRI or tACS
History of seizures
History of dyslexia or other developmental learning disabilities

What this trial measures

  • tACS changes in language performance verbal STM tasksChanges monitored over pre, during and immediately after 20 minutes of tACS

    Improvement on verbal STM performance as determined by increases in span, accuracy or decreases in reaction time is expected with active tACS.

  • tACS-dependent neurophysiological changesChanges monitored over pre and immediately after 20 minutes of tACS

    Concomitant frequency-specific EEG changes in spectral power and phase synchronization are expected.