Pre-Frontal tDCS as a Novel Intervention to Reduce Effects of Post-Stroke Fatigue While Improving Language and Attention in Aphasia
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if electrical brain stimulation applied to the front parts of the brain can help people who have had a stroke improve their fatigue, language, and attention. The main question it aims to answer is: * Does transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) administered to the pre-frontal areas of the brain improve post-stroke fatigue and aphasia? * What kinds of participant characteristics are associated with better improvement of post-stroke fatigue and aphasia? Researchers will compare active electrical stimulation to sham stimulation to see if the active stimulation does a better job at reducing fatigue and language deficits after stroke. Participants will be asked to complete fatigue, language, and cognitive testing before and after receiving 10 sessions of tDCS plus speech and language therapy.
• 18 years or older.
• No diagnosis of neurological disorder (other than stroke).
• No diagnosis of psychiatric disorder, with the exception of anxiety and/or depression if it is managed through medication and/or behavioral intervention.
• No seizure within the past 6 months.
• Not pregnant.
• Does not currently have cardiac pacemaker
• In chronic phase of recovery, defined as at least 6 months post-stroke.
• Not undergoing speech and language therapy targeting auditory comprehension or attention for the duration of the study.
• No metal implants in the scalp or bone in the pre-frontal area of the head.
⁃ No unhealed skull fractures.
⁃ Onset of aphasia related to single, left hemisphere, ischemic stroke.
⁃ Damaged brain tissue from stroke does not overlap with left hemisphere dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
⁃ Mild to moderate aphasia (as measured by WAB-R \*\*or QAB).
⁃ Self-report of post-stroke fatigue (as measured on SF-CAT)
⁃ No significant challenges with vision or hearing (with use of corrective aids if needed; eyeglasses, hearing aids).
⁃ Willing to allow audio-recording of study sessions.