Grey Matter Density Predicts the Improvement of Naming Abilities After tDCS Intervention in Agrammatic Variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia.

Agrammatic variant primary progressive aphasia is a neurodegenerative disorder specifically characterized by language deficits. A recent study has demonstrated a beneficial effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in combination with language training on naming accuracy in these patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the improvement of naming accuracy after tDCS during language training was related to regional grey matter (GM) density.

Mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease is improved by transcranial direct current stimulation combined with physical therapy.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by both motor and cognitive deficits. In PD, physical exercise has been found to improve physical functioning. Recent studies demonstrated that repeated sessions of transcranial direct current stimulation led to an increased performance in cognitive and motor tasks in patients with PD.

Anodal tDCS during face-name associations memory training in Alzheimer's patients.

Objective: Given the limited effectiveness of pharmacological treatments, non-pharmacological interventions to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD) have gained attention in recent years. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of anodal tDCS (AtDCS) combined with memory training on face-name associations in an AD patient sample.

Methods: Thirty six AD patients were randomly assigned to one of three study groups: Group 1, AtDCS plus individualized computerized memory training; Group 2, placebo tDCS plus individualized computerized memory training; Group 3, AtDCS plus motor training.

Efficacy of semantic-phonological treatment combined with tDCS for verb retrieval in a patient with aphasia.

Recent studies reported enhanced performance on language tasks induced by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in patients with aphasia. One chronic patient with non-fluent aphasia received 20 sessions of a verb anomia training combined with off-line bihemispheric tDCS applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) - anodal tDCS over left DLPFC plus cathodal tDCS over right DLPFC. A significant improvement in verb naming was observed at all testing times (4, 12, 24, and 48 weeks from post-entry/baseline testing) for treated and untreated verbs.

Treatment of primary progressive aphasias by transcranial direct current stimulation combined with language training.

Background: Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is an untreatable neurodegenerative disorder that disrupts language functions. Previous studies have demonstrated transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may improve language symptoms in patients with post stroke aphasia or neurodegenerative diseases.

Objective: The present study investigated whether the application of anodal tDCS (AtDCS) to the scalp overlying the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which may increase cortical excitability, in combination with individualized speech therapy would improve naming accuracy in the agrammatic variant of PPA (avPPA).

Enhancing verbal episodic memory in older and young subjects after non-invasive brain stimulation.

Memory is the capacity to store, maintain, and retrieve events or information from the mind. Difficulties in verbal episodic memory commonly occur in healthy aging. In this paper, we assess the hypothesis that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) or over the parietal cortex (PARC) could facilitate verbal episodic memory in a group of 32 healthy older adults and in a group of 32 young subjects relative to a sham stimulation using a single-blind randomized controlled design.

Compensatory networks to counteract the effects of ageing on language.

Background: Word-retrieval difficulties are a common consequence of healthy ageing and are associated with a reduction in asymmetrical recruitment of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), although the significance of this reduction has not yet been clarified. Using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) it has been demonstrated that an asymmetrical involvement of the DLPFC during action naming in young subjects, whereas bilateral involvement was shown in elderly participants. By using rTMS during a naming task in a group of elderly subjects, the aim of the present work was to investigate whether the magnitude of DLPFC asymmetry (left-right rTMS effect) during action naming correlates with task performance, proving the presence of a compensation strategy in some but not all elderly participants.