The Effect of Dual-target tACS Combined With Speech Training on Repetition Disorder After Stroke

This clinical trial aims to study whether dual-target transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) applied to the auditory and motor brain region can improve repetition disorder in people with stroke, and to evaluate the safety of tACS. The main goals are to answer the following questions:

1. Can dual-tACS stimulation of the auditory and motor brain area improve repetition functions in people with aphasia after stroke?
2. Can it improve the integration of auditory information and speech motor control during communication?

Researchers will compare the effects of real tACS versus sham (placebo) stimulation to see if real stimulation leads to better outcomes in aphasia patients.

Participants will:

1. Receive one extra 20-minute session of either real or sham tACS each day for 10 days
2. Attend clinic visits before and after 10-days stimulation for clinical assessments(WAB) and fNIRS recording related brain activity

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Aphasia
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: speech training; Other: real tACS; Other: sham tACS

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 28
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Guangdong
    • Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
      • Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Meeting the diagnostic criteria for hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke in the Chinese Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Cerebrovascular Diseases(2nd edition), with the first onset, single hemisphere stroke, and confirmed by CT or MRI,course of diease 1-6 months;
• Age ranging from 30 to 80 years old;
• Native language is Mandarin or Cantonese;
• Right-handed;
• Diagnosed with aphasia by the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) scale;
• Able to cooperate in completing the speech repetition test;
• Normal hearing.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Currently receiving non-invasive brain stimulation treatment;
• Lesions involving the Broca or STG brain regions;
• History of epilepsy, mental illness,or other neurological or mental disorders;
• Any contraindications for transcranial electrical stimulation.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: real group; dual-target tACS on auditory and motor brain area at a frequency of 8 Hz,with individualized current intensity, delivered for 20 minutes.	Behavioral: speech training; speech training(especially repetition training) synchronized with tACS stimulation; Other: real tACS; dual-target tACS on auditory and motor brain area at a frequency of 8 Hz,with individualized current intensity, delivered for 20 minutes.
Sham Comparator: sham group; sham tACS except for turning down the current intensity to zero during the 20-minute period, all other parameters are identical to those in real group.	Behavioral: speech training; speech training(especially repetition training) synchronized with tACS stimulation; Other: sham tACS; except for turning down the current intensity to zero during the 20-minute period, all other parameters are identical to those in real group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) score	Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) score：0-100，higher score means better language function	Baseline and 10-days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ke Dong, MD

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 26, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): December 29, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 9, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 15, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): January 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 22, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 20, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Communication Disorders; Language Disorders; Speech Disorders; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Aphasia
• Other Study ID Numbers: Nos.82102648

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No