pBFS-guided Dual-target cTBS for Aphasia After Stroke

Official title

Personalized Brain Functional Sector-guided Dual-target Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation Therapy for Aphasia After Stroke: a RCT

Overview

The objective of this trial is to evaluate the effectiveness and safeness of personalized brain functional sectors (pBFS) technology-guided continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) on the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) combined with the superior temporal gyrus (STG) for language function recovery in post-stroke aphasic patients.

Detailed description

Increasing evidence suggests that rTMS has been effective in treating various psychological and neurological diseases, including treating post-stroke symptoms. Using the personalized brain functional sectors (pBFS) technique, investigators could precisely identify individualized brain functional networks and the personalized language-related stimulation site based on the resting-state functional MRI data. The current study proposes to conduct a double-blinded, randomized and parallel controlled design trial, to investigate the efficacy and safety of pBFS-guided dual-target rTMS intervention in post-stroke aphasic patients.

Subjects will be randomly assigned to the following two groups: active continuous TBS (cTBS) group, or a sham control group. The allocation ratio will be 1:1. The stimulation protocol consisted of a 3-week treatment, with 5 consecutive workdays each week (totally 15 day-treatment). The stimulation procedure will be assisted with real-time neuronavigation to ensure its precision.

Interventions

• Device active continuous Theta Burst Stimulation
  Each patient will receive a combination of stimulation sequences, including a 600-pulse cTBS targeting at the right IFG, followed by a 600-pulse cTBS targeting at the right STG, which will be repeated once more (a total of 2400 pulses daily). Each patient will receive a 3-week treatment period, consisting of 5 consecutive workdays each week.
• Device sham continuous Theta Burst Stimulation
  Each patient will receive a combination of stimulation sequences, including a 600-pulse sham cTBS targeting at the right IFG, followed by a 600-pulse sham cTBS targeting at the right STG, which will be repeated once more (a total of 2400 pulses daily). Each patient will receive a 3-week treatment period, consisting of 5 consecutive workdays each week.

Primary outcome measures

• Change in the Western Aphasia Battery scores [Time frame: baseline, end of the 3-week therapy]

Secondary outcome measures (4)

• Change in the Western Aphasia Battery scores [Time frame: baseline, end of the 5-day therapy, 90 days after treatment initiation]
• Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination Severity Ratings [Time frame: baseline, end of the 3-week therapy，90 days after treatment initiation]
• Token test [Time frame: baseline，end of the 3-week therapy，90 days after treatment initiation]
• Chinese-version Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale 39-generic version (SAQOL-39g) [Time frame: baseline，end of the 3-week therapy，90 days after treatment initiation]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• The patient's age ranges from 35 to 75 years old (including 35 and 75 years old);
• Meet the diagnostic criteria for ischemic stroke (according to the guidelines developed by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association in 2019 and the guidelines developed by the Neurology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association in 2018) or meet the diagnostic criteria for hemorrhagic stroke (according to the guidelines developed by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association in 2022 and the guidelines developed by the Neurology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association in 2019) ，with lesions located in the left hemisphere, and a duration of illness ranging from 15 days to 6 months.
• Diagnosed as aphasia patient according to the Chinese version of Western Aphasia Battery (WAB), with a WAB-aphasia quotient of less than 93.8 points;
• First onset of stroke;
• Normal language function before the onset of stroke, and the patient's native language is Chinese with at least 6 years of education;
• Understand the trial and signed the informed consent form.

Exclusion criteria

• Combined dysarthria (NIHSS item 10 score ≥2 points);
• Aphasia caused by bilateral hemisphere stroke, brain tumor, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, motor neuron disease, or other diseases；
• Patients with implanted electronic devices such as cardiac pacemakers, cochlear implants, or other metal foreign bodies, or those with MRI contraindications such as claustrophobia or TMS treatment contraindications;
• History of epilepsy;
• Patient with concomitant severe systemic diseases affecting the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, etc., and uncontrolled by conventional medication, as detected and confirmed through laboratory testing and examination;
• Patients with consciousness disorders (NIHSS 1(a) score ≥1);
• Patients with malignant hypertension;
• Patients with severe organic diseases, such as malignant tumors, with an expected survival time of less than 1 year;
• Patients with severe hearing, visual, cognitive impairment or inability to cooperate with the trial;
• Patients with severe depression, anxiety, or diagnosed with other mental illnesses that prevent them from completing the trial;
• Patients who have received other neuromodulation treatments such as TMS, transcranial electric stimulation, etc. in the 3 months prior to enrollment;
• Patients with a history of alcoholism, drug abuse, or other substance abuse;
• Patients with other abnormal findings that the researchers judge are not suitable for participation in this trial;
• Patients who are unable to complete follow-up due to geographical or other reasons;
• Women of childbearing age who are currently pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning or may become pregnant during the trial;
• Patients who are currently participating in other clinical trials.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Parallel assignment

Masking

Quadruple blind

Primary purpose

Treatment

Study locations

China · 2 centers

• Shandong Provincial Hospital — Jinan
• The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University — Qingdao

Identifiers

NCT: NCT05957354 · CPSA05SD60

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗