ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on picture naming by those with Broca's aphasia recovering from a stroke.Methods Five patients with Broca's aphasia 6-12 months post-stroke served as their own controls.They all had lesions of the left frontal gyms or the basal ganglia.They received either anodic, cathodic or sham stimulation of the left Broca's area.They were then given a picture naming test.Results The average number of correct namings was 13.13 with anodic stimulation, 9.80 with cathodic and 10.15 with the sham stimulation.Compared with cathodic or sham stimulation, anodic stimulation of the left Broca's area can improve the picture-naming ability of aphasic stroke patients significantly more effectively.Conclusions Anodic stimulation of the left Broca's area can improve the picture-naming of cerebral apoplexy patients with Broca's aphasia.Such stimulation may increase the excitability of the left cortex, suggesting that the left Broca's area and its periphery play a very important role in language recovery after stroke.