Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): potential progress for language improvement in aphasia

Aphasia researchers and clinicians share some basic beliefs about language recovery post stroke. Most agree there is a spontaneous recovery period and language recovery may be enhanced by participation in a behavioral therapy program. The application of biological interventions in the form of pharmaceutical treatments or brain stimulation is less well understood in the community of people who work with individuals having aphasia. The purpose of this article is to review the literature on electrical brain stimulation as an intervention to improve aphasia recovery. The article will emphasize emerging research on the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to accelerate stroke recovery. We will profile the current US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved application to depression to introduce its potential for future application to other syndromes such as aphasia.