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Precision neuromodulation to enhance language therapy outcomes in post-stroke aphasia
Poster Session E, Friday, October 2, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm, Wangari Maathai
This poster is part of the Sandbox Series.
Priyanka Shah-Basak1, Sara Pillay1, Joseph Heffernan1, Andrew Anderson1, Yusra Khan1, Jeffrey Binder1; 1Medical College of Wisconsin
There is a critical need to develop more effective interventions to improve language recovery and quality of life for stroke survivors with aphasia (SWA). We are conducting a clinical trial evaluating whether excitatory theta burst stimulation (TBS) can enhance the therapeutic benefits of Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) therapy in chronic SWA. Although SFA alone has been shown to promote generalization and improve word-finding abilities in SWA, gains on untrained (or new) stimuli are typically modest. Our overarching hypothesis is that administering SFA following excitatory TBS will capitalize on a heightened state of neural excitability, thereby facilitating more robust therapy-related neuroplasticity and generalization. To achieve this, we are implementing a novel multimodal approach for TBS site selection that integrates SFA-induced fMRI activation changes with measures of the site’s causal contribution to word retrieval. As data collection is ongoing, we will discuss the rationale and design of this precision-based methodology for individualized TBS targeting. We will also present preliminary findings from 3-4 SWA, focusing on acquisition (trained items), generalization (untrained items) and maintenance effects of excitatory TBS combined with SFA therapy.
Topic Areas: Disorders: Acquired, Speech-Language Treatment