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Modulating neural oscillations to improve functional communication in post-stroke aphasia

Poster Session F - Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 8:00 – 10:00 am PDT, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballroom

Amelia Szewczyk¹, Madison Mulhall², Omayma Jabara², Kate Nealon², Alexandra Gaynor¹; ¹Department of Psychology, Montclair State University, ²Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Montclair State University

Post-stroke aphasia is associated with changes in neural oscillations underlying language, with abnormal activity in the theta frequency range predicting poorer recovery of language production abilities. Although some studies have suggested transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can improve word-level production in people with aphasia (PWA), most have not evaluated effects of stimulation on measures of complex, real-world functional communication or the cognitive processes that support it. Moreover, while tDCS tonically increases neural activity, transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has the potential to entrain neural oscillations that underlie complex communication, which relies on both language processes and cognitive functions such as working memory (WM). In an ongoing within-subjects pilot experiment, N=12 participants with non-fluent post-stroke aphasia receive sham or active (2mA) high-definition theta-tACS (6.5Hz) over the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) while completing tasks designed to measure language production and comprehension under varying WM loads. Speech-analysis software is used to extract measures of functional communication, including accuracy, response latency, speech rate, and utterance length. We hypothesize that, compared to sham, active theta-tACS over the IFG will improve functional communication performance, particularly under higher WM load, reflecting a role of theta oscillations in complex language production that relies on WM processes. Results will inform our understanding of language-cognition interactions and elucidate the potential for neuromodulation to improve real-world communication in PWA.

Topic Area: LANGUAGE: Other