Clinical trial NCT02840396: Effect of rTMS of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex on Language Production in Healthy Participants
Official title: Role of Executive Function in Language: an Experimental and Clinical Approach With Application to Mother Language and Second Language
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Language
Keywords: language
DLPFC
rTMS
Executive Functions
Lead sponsor: University of Fribourg
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern
First posted: 2016-07-21
Enrollment: 22
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 45
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on language production.

Detailed description: Background:

Several studies investigating healthy or clinical populations have shown that (r)TMS applied over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has an effect on language-related processes such as verbal working memory (Osaka et al., 2007), sentence comprehension (Cotelli et al., 2011) and language switching (Holtzheimer et al., 2005, Nardone et al., 2011).

Clinical observations and neuroimaging studies seem to confirm the role of executive functions and frontal structures in language processing in monolingual and bilingual subjects (e.g. Fabbro et al., 2000, Abutalebi \& Green 2007). However, only few studies investigated the effects of modulation of cognitive control-networks on lexical access.

Aim and procedure:

The study will investigate the role of the DLPFC and executive functioning in L1 and L2 language processing. The core question is whether rTMS over the DLPFC will influence lexical access and language production.

Each participant will take part in two sessions: 1. rTMS session 2. Sham rTMS session. After the application of rTMS/Sham rTMS, the participants will conduct two language tasks (translation, picture naming) and a non-verbal task, while the EEG is recorded.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* L1 French, knowledge of English as a foreign language
* 18-45 years of age
* Right-handedness

Exclusion Criteria:

* epilepsy /family history of epilepsy
* brain surgery, traumatic brain injuries
* cardiac pacemaker, metallic objects in the body
* history of neurological diseases or psychiatric disorders
* drug use (alcohol, psychoactive medication)
* developmental language disorder

Primary outcomes:
measure: Language production
timeFrame: within 30 mins after rTMS/sham rTMS
Secondary outcomes:
measure: non-verbal executive functions task
timeFrame: within 30 mins after rTMS/sham rTMS
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Fribourg
country: Switzerland
facility: Laboratory for Cognitive and Neurological Sciences
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Fribourg
name: Jean-Marie Annoni, Prof. Dr.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Osaka N, Otsuka Y, Hirose N, Ikeda T, Mima T, Fukuyama H, Osaka M. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) applied to left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex disrupts verbal working memory performance in humans. Neurosci Lett. 2007 May 18;418(3):232-5. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2007.01.087. Epub 2007 Apr 8.
citation: Cotelli M, Calabria M, Manenti R, Rosini S, Zanetti O, Cappa SF, Miniussi C. Improved language performance in Alzheimer disease following brain stimulation. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2011 Jul;82(7):794-7. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2009.197848. Epub 2010 Jun 23.
citation: Holtzheimer P, Fawaz W, Wilson C, Avery D. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation may induce language switching in bilingual patients. Brain Lang. 2005 Sep;94(3):274-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bandl.2005.01.003.
citation: Nardone R, De Blasi P, Bergmann J, Caleri F, Tezzon F, Ladurner G, Golaszewski S, Trinka E. Theta burst stimulation of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex modulates pathological language switching: A case report. Neurosci Lett. 2011 Jan 10;487(3):378-82. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.10.060. Epub 2010 Oct 29.
citation: Fabbro F, Skrap M, Aglioti S. Pathological switching between languages after frontal lesions in a bilingual patient. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2000 May;68(5):650-2. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.68.5.650.
citation: Abutalebi J, Green D. Bilingual language production: The neurocognition of language representation and control. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 20, 242-275, 2007.