Circuitry Assessment and Reinforcement Training Effects on Recovery (CARTER)
Aphasia, or difficulty with language skills, can arise following stroke, or during the course of neurodegenerative conditions (as is the case with Primary Progressive Aphasia [PPA]). Since communication is a vital component of daily life, this condition can be debilitating and contribute to reduced quality of life and increased social isolation. Studies have shown behavioral speech therapy to improve communication skills in those with post-stroke aphasia and PPA. However, many hours of therapy are needed to have an effect. Recently, investigators have sought ways to augment language therapy.
Neurofeedback, a form of biofeedback, provides a visual and/or audio representation of an individual’s neural electrical activity from live electroencephalography (EEG) recording. Using operant conditioning principles, individuals are trained to increase or reduce patterns of brainwave activity to modify behavior and performance. It is possible that EEG neurofeedback, which focuses on improving abnormal brainwave patterns, could provide certain therapeutic benefits to individuals with post-stroke aphasia or PPA, either by directly affecting neural networks that underlie language, or more generally by reducing anxiety and inattention through behavioral conditioning. Reduction of anxiety in neurological diseases can be beneficial not only for functional performance but also sleep duration and quality.
We hypothesize that EEG neurofeedback training will be more beneficial than sham training for improvement of communication, anxiety, and sleep quality. The primary aims of this proposed study are to (1) determine if EEG neurofeedback training results in significantly greater communication skills, compared to sham EEG feedback training, in participants with post-stroke aphasia and PPA, and (2) determine if EEG neurofeedback training results in significantly reduced anxiety, better sleep quality and reduced use of sleep aids, compared to sham EEG feedback training, in participants with post-stroke aphasia and PPA. This study also aims to investigate characteristics of participants most responsive to neurofeedback training and to examine whether or not neurofeedback improves functional connectivity in language and attention networks in patients with post-stroke aphasia and PPA.
Aphasia, or difficulty with language skills, can arise following stroke, or during the course of neurodegenerative conditions (as is the case with Primary Progressive Aphasia [PPA]). Since communication is a vital component of daily life, this condition can be debilitating and contribute to reduced quality of life and increased social isolation. Studies have shown behavioral speech therapy to improve communication skills in those with post-stroke aphasia and PPA. However, many hours of therapy are needed to have an effect. Recently, investigators have sought ways to augment language therapy.
Neurofeedback, a form of biofeedback, provides a visual and/or audio representation of an individual’s neural electrical activity from live electroencephalography (EEG) recording. Using operant conditioning principles, individuals are trained to increase or reduce patterns of brainwave activity to modify behavior and performance. It is possible that EEG neurofeedback, which focuses on improving abnormal brainwave patterns, could provide certain therapeutic benefits to individuals with post-stroke aphasia or PPA, either by directly affecting neural networks that underlie language, or more generally by reducing anxiety and inattention through behavioral conditioning. Reduction of anxiety in neurological diseases can be beneficial not only for functional performance but also sleep duration and quality.
We hypothesize that EEG neurofeedback training will be more beneficial than sham training for improvement of communication, anxiety, and sleep quality. The primary aims of this proposed study are to (1) determine if EEG neurofeedback training results in significantly greater communication skills, compared to sham EEG feedback training, in participants with post-stroke aphasia and PPA, and (2) determine if EEG neurofeedback training results in significantly reduced anxiety, better sleep quality and reduced use of sleep aids, compared to sham EEG feedback training, in participants with post-stroke aphasia and PPA. This study also aims to investigate characteristics of participants most responsive to neurofeedback training and to examine whether or not neurofeedback improves functional connectivity in language and attention networks in patients with post-stroke aphasia and PPA.