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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Utilizing Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Improve Language Function in Stroke Patients with Chronic Non-fluent Aphasia
Published on: July 2, 2013
Enhancing oscillatory dysfunctome in aphasia: Phase-dependent network effects of connectomic transcranial alternating
Chester Yee-Nok Cheung1, Anthony Pak-Hin Kong1
1The Aphasia Research and Therapy (ART) Laboratory, Academic Unit of Human Communication, Learning, and Development (HCLD), Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Objective:
Connectomic transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) utilizes connectomic model to guide network-modulating tACS. Early application of connectomic tACS supported the feasibility of using phase-synchronization tACS to modulate connectivity within a symptom-predictive subnetwork (a.k.a. dysfunctome) to promote clinical benefit in post-stroke aphasia (PSA). However, the dysfunctome-modulatory patterns of in/anti-phase tACS remain unclear. This study investigates the dysfunctome-enhancing effects of in/anti-phase tACS applied to a centralized edge within the dysfunctome, and how individualized targeting pinpointing an individual's weakened edge, may moderate these effects.
Methods:
Nine individuals with PSA received single-session, double-blinded, 10-Hz tACS paired with speech therapy under five within-subject conditions: Generalized In-phase (GI), Generalized Anti-phase (GA), Individualized In-phase (II), Individualized Anti-phase (IA), and sham. Generalized conditions targeted an edge with the highest centrality within the dysfunctome that is universal to all participants. Individualized conditions pinpointed a centralized-but-weakened edge based on the individual's dysfunctome profile. Dysfunctome and overall network changes were compared.
Results:
GI and IA had a medium effect with marginal significance in producing greater increase in average connectivity of the dysfunctome than sham. The reverse pattern of phase-dependent effect in generalized and individualized conditions suggests a moderator role of baseline connectivity of the target edge.
Conclusions:
In-phase tACS could potentially promote a dysfunctome-wide enhancement when targeted at an undisrupted centralized edge. Anti-phase tACS was more effective when the individual's disrupted centralized edge was targeted, possibly via network reorganization mechanism.
Significance:
Immediate network-modulatory effects of tACS indicate potential for clinical applications in precision neurorehabilitation of PSA or other network-based disorders.
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