ArticleNeuroImage. Clinical2018
The effect of tDCS on functional connectivity in primary progressive aphasia.
Article in NeuroImage. Clinical, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 54 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Targeting Language-specific and Executive-control Networks With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Aphasic AD (Logopenic Variant PPA)
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Typical and Atypical Alzheimer's Disease
Who cites it
54 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 89 citations in OpenAlex.
- Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation in Frontotemporal Dementia: A Systematic Review of Non-Pharmacological Treatment Approaches.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Biomarker use in predicting transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) response: a systematic scoping review.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Noninvasive Brain Stimulation in Primary Progressive Aphasia with and Without Concomitant Speech and Language Therapy: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Neuropsychology review · 2025Pooled it
- Behavioral Treatment for Speech and Language in Primary Progressive Aphasia and Primary Progressive Apraxia of Speech: A Systematic Review.Neuropsychology review · 2024Pooled it
- Non-pharmacological interventions for improving language and communication in people with primary progressive aphasia.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Transcranial direct current stimulation in semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia: a state-of-the-art review.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2023Pooled it
- Methodology for tDCS integration with fMRI.Human brain mapping · 2020Pooled it
- Meta-Analysis on the Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Naming of Elderly with Primary Progressive Aphasia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Pooled it
- Baseline Functional Connectivity Predicts Who Will Benefit From Neuromodulation: Evidence From Primary Progressive Aphasia.Neurorehabilitation and neural repair · 2026Trial
- Augmenting Verb-Naming Therapy With Neuromodulation Decelerates Language Loss in Primary Progressive Aphasia.American journal of speech-language pathology · 2025Trial
- A multi-modal approach for the treatment of non-fluent/agrammatic variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia.Brain communications · 2025Trial
- Differences in functional connectivity distribution after transcranial direct-current stimulation: A connectivity density point of view.Human brain mapping · 2023Trial
- Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Paired With Verb Network Strengthening Treatment Improves Verb Naming in Primary Progressive Aphasia: A Case Series.American journal of speech-language pathology · 2022Trial
- Trial
- White Matter Integrity Predicts Electrical Stimulation (tDCS) and Language Therapy Effects in Primary Progressive Aphasia.Neurorehabilitation and neural repair · 2021Trial
- Brain volumes as predictors of tDCS effects in primary progressive aphasia.Brain and language · 2020Trial
- Neurostimulation with Naming Therapy for Primary Progressive Aphasia: A Pilot Study Targeting Transcranial Direct Current (tDCS) Stimulation for the Individual.Brain sciences · 2026Article
- Efficacy of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation in Primary Progressive Aphasia Treatment: A Review.Brain sciences · 2025Review
- The role of structural and functional parameters in designing pathology-specific tDCS protocols for primary progressive aphasia.Alzheimer's research & therapy · 2025Article
- Safety and Efficacy of Different Therapeutic Interventions for Primary Progressive Aphasia: A Systematic Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is an innovative technique recently shown to improve language outcomes even in neurodegenerative conditions such as primary progressive aphasia (PPA), but the underlying brain mechanisms are not known. The present study tested whether the additional language gains with repetitive tDCS (over sham) in PPA are caused by changes in functional connectivity between the stimulated area (the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG)) and the rest of the language network. We scanned 24 PPA participants (11 female) before and after language intervention (written naming/spelling) with a resting-state fMRI sequence and compared changes before and after three weeks of tDCS or sham coupled with language therapy. We correlated changes in the language network as well as in the default mode network (DMN) with language therapy outcome measures (letter accuracy in written naming). Significant tDCS effects in functional connectivity were observed between the stimulated area and other language network areas and between the language network and the DMN. TDCS over the left IFG lowered the connectivity between the above pairs. Changes in functional connectivity correlated with improvement in language scores (letter accuracy as a proxy for written naming) evaluated before and after therapy. These results suggest that one mechanism for anodal tDCS over the left IFG in PPA is a decrease in functional connectivity (compared to sham) between the stimulated site and other posterior areas of the language network. These results are in line with similar decreases in connectivity observed after tDCS over the left IFG in aging and other neurodegenerative conditions.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.