Cerebellar Theta-Burst Stimulation Induces Distinct Functional Connectivity Patterns in Post-Stroke Aphasia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Adding cerebellar theta-burst stimulation to speech-language therapy did not improve the overall aphasia score significantly more than sham. A repetition measure favored active stimulation, pointing to a narrower signal that needs confirmation.

Wang X, Xu X, Wang D, Huang G, Zheng K, Chen C, Jiang D, Gao F, Ren C, Zhao Z.
Neurorehabilitation and neural repair · Publication date: 2026-09-29
Added to site: 2026-09-30
DOI: 10.1177/15459683261479722

Electronic publication date verified in Europe PMC and Crossref. This source date is separate from the site's addition date.

Modalities

rTMS, TMS

Clinical focus

Post-stroke aphasia, Language rehabilitation, Functional connectivity

Population

Patients with subacute post-stroke aphasia

Sample

51 participants: 25 assigned to real cTBS and 26 to sham stimulation

Intervention / method

Ten sessions over two weeks of inhibitory continuous theta-burst stimulation over right cerebellar Crus I or sham, with speech-language therapy in both groups

Comparator

Sham stimulation plus the same speech-language therapy

Clinician summary

Both groups improved. The WAB-AQ group-by-time interaction did not reach significance (p=0.058), while repetition favored cTBS (p=0.034). Resting-state fMRI showed heterogeneous rCrus I connectivity changes, and connectivity change was negatively correlated with language gains in the active group.

How to interpret the findings

The trial was small and short. The primary overall language outcome was not significant, while the positive repetition result was one domain among several outcomes. Imaging correlations and subgroup patterns were exploratory and require larger prespecified replication.

Equipment and disclosures

Continuous theta-burst stimulation targeted right cerebellar Crus I; coil model, neuronavigation details and speech-language therapy materials were not available in the checked abstract.

Crossref reports support from the Top Talent Support Program for young and middle-aged people of Wuxi Health Committee and the Social Development Project of Jiangsu Province. Competing-interest statements were not available in the checked abstract.

Related evidence

Compare findings from the same clinical area, including mixed results.

• Intrinsic functional architecture predicts remote motor cortical excitability changes induced by intermittent theta-burst stimulation · Positive with limitations
• Frontal midline theta reduction during attentional reconfiguration links local cortical dynamics to network-level connectivity changes · Positive with limitations
• Brain state-contingent stimulation to probe task-dependent functional networks. · Positive with limitations
• Neuromodulation effects of HF-rTMS and rPMS on stroke patients: an fNIRS study. · Positive with limitations
• Temporal-Targeted Accelerated 40 Hz tACS Enhances Cognitive Function and Network Integration in Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. · Positive with limitations
• Machine learning-based source-level EEG functional network biomarkers of antidepressant treatment response in major depressive disorder. · Positive with limitations
• Infra-low-frequency neurofeedback alters EEG network efficiency: exploratory evidence from healthy volunteers. · Positive with limitations