Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32872344›Full record

ArticleBrain sciences2020

Efficacy of Noninvasive Brain Stimulation (tDCS or TMS) Paired with Language Therapy in the Treatment of Primary Progressive Aphasia: An Exploratory Meta-Analysis.

Nicole R Nissim, Paul J Moberg, Roy H Hamilton

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Brain sciences, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
46citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
3.4field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

46 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 81 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Patients with Primary Progressive Aphasia: A Systematic Review and Updated Meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
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  7. tDCS and Speech Therapy in Aphasia Treatment: A Multicenter Comparative Study of Efficacy.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Nicole R NissimLaboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation, Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7095-633X
Paul J MobergDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Roy H HamiltonLaboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation, Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition · USUniversity of Pennsylvania · US

Funding

Treating primary progressive aphasia and elucidating neurodegeneration in the language network using transcranial direct current stimulationR01AG059763 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI HAMILTON, ROY H · 2019 to 2024
$3.7M
Postdoctoral Training in Translational Neurorehabilitation ResearchT32HD071844 · NICHD · ALBERT EINSTEIN HEALTHCARE NETWORK · PI WHYTE, JOHN · 2013 to 2022
$2.2M
NIA NIH HHS R01 AG059763NICHD NIH HHS T32 HD071844NIH HHS 5T32HD071844-05
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Noninvasive brain stimulation techniques, such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), paired with behavioral language therapy, have demonstrated the capacity to enhance language abilities in primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a debilitating degenerative neurological syndrome that leads to declines in communication abilities. The aim of this meta-analysis is to systematically evaluate the efficacy of tDCS and TMS in improving language outcomes in PPA, explore the magnitude of effects between stimulation modalities, and examine potential moderators that may influence treatment effects. Standard mean differences for change in performance from baseline to post-stimulation on language-related tasks were evaluated. Six tDCS studies and two repetitive TMS studies met inclusion criteria and provided 22 effects in the analysis. Random effect models revealed a significant, heterogeneous, and moderate effect size for tDCS and TMS in the enhancement of language outcomes. Findings demonstrate that naming ability significantly improves due to brain stimulation, an effect found to be largely driven by tDCS. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to determine long-term effectiveness of noninvasive brain stimulation techniques on language abilities, further delineate the efficacy of tDCS and TMS, and identify optimal parameters to enable the greatest gains for persons with PPA.

Indexed as

behavioral language therapyinterventionlanguage functionneurostimulationnoninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS)primary progressive aphasiarepetitive TMStranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Identifiers

PMID32872344
PMCPMC7563447
OpenAlexW3082852582

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.