Evaluating Anodal tDCS Preceding Aphasia Therapy

Inclusion Criteria: 1. ≥ 18 years of age 2. First single focal unilateral left hemisphere lesion with diagnosis verified by brain imaging (MRI or CT scans) that occurred at least 6 months prior 3. Pre-morbidly right handed 4. Pre-morbidly fluent English speaker 5. Cognitive function sufficient to understand the experiments and follow instructions (per interview with Speech Pathologist) 6. A baseline Aphasia Quotient score between 10 to 94 out of 100 points on the Western Aphasia Battery (neither completely without language comprehension/expression nor fully recovered from aphasia). Exclusion Criteria: 1. Ongoing use of CNS-active medications 2. Ongoing use of psychoactive medications, such as stimulants, antidepressants, and anti-psychotic medications 3. Presence of additional potential tDCS risk factors: * Damaged skin at the site of stimulation (i.e., skin with ingrown hairs, acne, razor nicks, wounds that have not healed, recent scar tissue, broken skin, etc.) * Presence of an electrically, magnetically or mechanically activated implant (including cardiac pacemaker), an intracerebral vascular clip, or any other electrically sensitive support system * Metal in any part of the body, including metal injury to the eye (jewelry must be removed during stimulation) * A history of medication-resistant epilepsy in the family * Past history of seizures or unexplained spells of loss of consciousness during the previous 36 months 4. Pregnancy in women, as determined by self-report