Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 28, 2026
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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS of Wernicke's and Broca's Areas in Studies of Language Learning and Word Acquisition
Published on: July 13, 2019
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Improved language production with transcranial direct current stimulation in progressive supranuclear palsy
Daniel L Madden1, Martin V Sale2, John O'Sullivan3
1Neuropsychology Research Unit, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
Neuropsychologia
|March 6, 2019
Summary
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may improve language deficits in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). This non-invasive brain stimulation showed benefits for verbal fluency and naming in a PSP patient, suggesting therapeutic potential.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Speech and Language Pathology
Background:
- Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disease causing motor and cognitive deficits, including language impairments.
- Pharmacotherapy is ineffective for PSP motor symptoms, necessitating alternative treatments for associated cognitive and language issues.
Observation:
- A case study of patient KN with PSP exhibiting reduced verbal fluency and connected speech production.
- KN underwent language tasks with sham or active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).
Findings:
- Active tDCS significantly improved phonemic fluency and action naming compared to sham stimulation.
- Preliminary evidence suggests potential benefits of tDCS for connected speech production in PSP.
- No improvements were observed in control tasks, indicating specificity of tDCS effects.
Implications:
- tDCS shows promise as a non-invasive therapeutic tool for managing language deficits in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.
- Further research is warranted to explore the efficacy and application of tDCS for PSP patients.
- These findings could lead to novel strategies for preserving language function in neurodegenerative disorders.
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