Baker 2010.
| Methods | Randomised sham‐controlled double‐blind cross‐over trial | |
| Participants | Country: USA
10 participants (5 women) with chronic, stroke‐induced aphasia, age 45 to 81 years (mean ± SD, 65.50 ± 11.44) Inclusion criteria: 1‐time stroke in the left hemisphere, 6 months after stroke onset, <85 years of age, premorbidly right‐handed, native English speaker, and participant in a previous study that included fMRI examination Exclusion criteria: seizures during the previous 36 months, sensitive scalp, previous brain surgery, and medications that raise the seizure threshold |
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| Interventions | Each participant underwent 1 of the following conditions (A: A‐tDCS 1 mA; B: S‐tDCS; 20 minutes each over the brain area with the highest activation during correct naming as measured by fMRI): ‐ computerised anomia training + 5 days A, 7 days rest period, computerised anomia training + 5 days B ‐ computerised anomia training + 5 days B, 7 days rest period, computerised anomia training + 5 days A |
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| Outcomes | Outcomes were reported at the end of treatment and at 7 days' follow‐up: ‐ the change in correct picture naming in per cent (continuous; ranging from 0 to 100 with a higher value indicating better performance) |
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| Notes | ||
| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Low risk | Random number generator |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Not stated by the study authors |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) Objective outcomes | Low risk | For objective outcomes: participants were blinded; blinding of personnel not stated by the study authors |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) Objective outcomes | Low risk | For objective outcomes: outcome assessment by 2 speech‐language pathologists blinded to stimulation type with a third speech‐language pathologist arbitrating in case of disagreement |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) Objective outcomes | Low risk | For objective outcomes: all participants completed the study. No treatment withdrawals, no losses to follow‐up, no trial group changes and no major adverse events stated |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Unclear risk | All outcomes listed in the 'Methods' section reported, no protocol could be identified |
| Other bias | Low risk | No other bias identified |