# Improving Aphasia Outcomes through tDCS-Mediated Attention Management

> **NIH NIH R21** · SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $157,542

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been proposed as a method of enhancing treatment for
aphasia but has mostly been tested on spared brain regions associated with language function. Although this
approach has been largely successful, feasibility of providing tDCS to aphasia clients in a typical clinical setting
is limited given the expense and unavailability of functional neuroimaging required to identify functional brain
areas surrounding the lesion. We propose an alternative approach, which aims to target attention as a means
to improve language learning. Studies have shown that anodal tDCS applied to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
(DLPFC) can improve attention after stroke. However, it remains unknown if tDCS administered to DLPFC will
improve attention, language recovery, or language learning in persons with aphasia. The long-term objective of
our proposed research is to is to increase the efficiency and efficacy of existing speech and language
treatments for aphasia. The proposed project will be a first step toward achieving this objective, specifically
investigating effects of tDCS-mediated language-specific attention training on measures of attention and
language in persons with aphasia. This project will advance the NIDCD’s mission by advancing research for
stroke and aphasia rehabilitation. For this clinical trial, we will pursue the following specific aim: Determine the
impact of tDCS applied to DLPFC on (Aim 1a) domain-general attention skills, (Aim 1b) complex language
comprehension, and (Aim 1c) artificial grammar rule learning. Participants will undergo 10 sessions of
combined language-specific attention and artificial grammar training while active or sham tDCS is
simultaneously administered to left DLPFC. We will measure performance at three time points (baseline, post-
training, one-month follow-up) on two domain-general attention tasks, a sentence comprehension task, and
two measures of artificial grammar learning. We will address our study aims by comparing performance on
these tasks across active and sham tDCS conditions. At the conclusion of this clinical trial, we expect to
provide evidence that active anodal tDCS to DLPFC can enhance attention ability, complex sentence
comprehension, and artificial grammar learning. Successful completion of this project will provide essential
preliminary data to enable subsequent large-scale studies investigating the effects of tDCS-mediated attention
training on language recovery in persons with aphasia.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10115348
- **Project number:** 1R21DC017787-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ellyn Riley
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $157,542
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-23 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10115348

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10115348, Improving Aphasia Outcomes through tDCS-Mediated Attention Management (1R21DC017787-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10115348. Licensed CC0.

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