Does Executive Function Training Impact on Communication? A Randomized Controlled tDCS Study on Post-Stroke Aphasia
New approaches in aphasia rehabilitation have recently identified the crucial role of executive functions (EFs) in language recovery, especially for people with severe aphasia (PWSA). Indeed, EFs include high-order cognitive abilities such as planning and problem solving, which enable humans to adap...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/9/1265 |
| _version_ | 1797490483197378560 |
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| author | Francesca Pisano Alessio Manfredini Andrea Castellano Carlo Caltagirone Paola Marangolo |
| author_facet | Francesca Pisano Alessio Manfredini Andrea Castellano Carlo Caltagirone Paola Marangolo |
| author_sort | Francesca Pisano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | New approaches in aphasia rehabilitation have recently identified the crucial role of executive functions (EFs) in language recovery, especially for people with severe aphasia (PWSA). Indeed, EFs include high-order cognitive abilities such as planning and problem solving, which enable humans to adapt to novel situations and are essential for everyday functional communication. In a randomized double-blind crossover design, twenty chronic Italian PWSA underwent ten days of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) (20 min, 2 mA) over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Two conditions were considered, i.e., anodal and sham, while performing four types of cognitive training (alertness, selective attention, visuo-spatial working memory, and planning), all of which were related to executive functions. After anodal tDCS, a greater improvement in selective attention, visuospatial working memory and planning abilities was found compared to the sham condition; this improvement persisted one month after the intervention. Importantly, a significant improvement was also observed in functional communication, as measured through the Communication Activities of Daily Living Scale, in noun and verb naming, in auditory and written language comprehension tasks and in executive function abilities. This evidence emphasizes, for the first time, that tDCS over the right DLPFC combined with executive training enhances functional communication in severe aphasia. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:33:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a6057a7bd308441f83b966990d89804d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:33:38Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-a6057a7bd308441f83b966990d89804d2023-11-23T15:22:00ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252022-09-01129126510.3390/brainsci12091265Does Executive Function Training Impact on Communication? A Randomized Controlled tDCS Study on Post-Stroke AphasiaFrancesca Pisano0Alessio Manfredini1Andrea Castellano2Carlo Caltagirone3Paola Marangolo4Department of Humanities Studies, University Federico II, 80133 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Humanities Studies, University Federico II, 80133 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, University La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, ItalyIRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Humanities Studies, University Federico II, 80133 Naples, ItalyNew approaches in aphasia rehabilitation have recently identified the crucial role of executive functions (EFs) in language recovery, especially for people with severe aphasia (PWSA). Indeed, EFs include high-order cognitive abilities such as planning and problem solving, which enable humans to adapt to novel situations and are essential for everyday functional communication. In a randomized double-blind crossover design, twenty chronic Italian PWSA underwent ten days of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) (20 min, 2 mA) over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Two conditions were considered, i.e., anodal and sham, while performing four types of cognitive training (alertness, selective attention, visuo-spatial working memory, and planning), all of which were related to executive functions. After anodal tDCS, a greater improvement in selective attention, visuospatial working memory and planning abilities was found compared to the sham condition; this improvement persisted one month after the intervention. Importantly, a significant improvement was also observed in functional communication, as measured through the Communication Activities of Daily Living Scale, in noun and verb naming, in auditory and written language comprehension tasks and in executive function abilities. This evidence emphasizes, for the first time, that tDCS over the right DLPFC combined with executive training enhances functional communication in severe aphasia.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/9/1265tDCSneuromodulationfunctional communicationaphasiaexecutive functions |
| spellingShingle | Francesca Pisano Alessio Manfredini Andrea Castellano Carlo Caltagirone Paola Marangolo Does Executive Function Training Impact on Communication? A Randomized Controlled tDCS Study on Post-Stroke Aphasia Brain Sciences tDCS neuromodulation functional communication aphasia executive functions |
| title | Does Executive Function Training Impact on Communication? A Randomized Controlled tDCS Study on Post-Stroke Aphasia |
| title_full | Does Executive Function Training Impact on Communication? A Randomized Controlled tDCS Study on Post-Stroke Aphasia |
| title_fullStr | Does Executive Function Training Impact on Communication? A Randomized Controlled tDCS Study on Post-Stroke Aphasia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does Executive Function Training Impact on Communication? A Randomized Controlled tDCS Study on Post-Stroke Aphasia |
| title_short | Does Executive Function Training Impact on Communication? A Randomized Controlled tDCS Study on Post-Stroke Aphasia |
| title_sort | does executive function training impact on communication a randomized controlled tdcs study on post stroke aphasia |
| topic | tDCS neuromodulation functional communication aphasia executive functions |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/9/1265 |
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