Combined Dextroamphetamine and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Poststroke Aphasia

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Effective adjunctive treatments for post-stroke speech recovery are needed.
• Combining pharmacological agents with noninvasive brain stimulation for post-stroke aphasia is novel.
• Nonfluent aphasia significantly impacts communication and quality of life after stroke.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a triple combination therapy for chronic nonfluent aphasia.
• To assess the feasibility of combining dextroamphetamine, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and speech-language therapy.
• To explore the impact of this combined intervention on speech and language performance.

Main Methods:

• Proof-of-concept study involving ten subjects with chronic nonfluent aphasia.
• Two experimental sessions: dextroamphetamine or placebo combined with tDCS and speech-language therapy.
• Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R) used to measure speech and language changes.
• Safety monitored via blood pressure and adverse events.

Main Results:

• The combined therapy was found to be safe, with no serious adverse events or significant blood pressure increase.
• No deterioration in speech and language performance was observed in the placebo group.
• Statistically significant improvements in Aphasia Quotient (AQ) and Language Quotient (LQ) were noted in the active treatment group.
• Proportional changes in AQ and LQ were significantly greater in the active treatment compared to the placebo condition.

Conclusions:

• The triple combination therapy (dextroamphetamine, tDCS, speech-language therapy) is safe and implementable for chronic nonfluent aphasia.
• This novel approach shows promise in inducing positive changes in speech and language performance post-stroke.
• Further research is warranted to confirm these findings and explore long-term effects.