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Zapping muscles may boost mobility in severe COPD

NCT ID NCT05838911

Symptom relief Sponsor: Beni-Suef University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026

Summary

Researchers are testing whether adding neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to chest physiotherapy helps older adults with severe COPD walk farther and gain muscle strength. Sixty participants receive either chest physiotherapy alone or chest physiotherapy plus NMES applied to the buttocks, thighs, and calves for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, for eight weeks. The study measures changes in a six-minute walk test, lung function, muscle strength, and blood flow in the leg.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
neuromuscular electrical stimulation added to chest physiotherapy
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a way for people with severe COPD who struggle to exercise to build muscle strength and improve daily function.
What could go wrong
This is a small, single-center study, so results may not hold up in larger or more diverse groups. Electrical stimulation can cause muscle twitching or discomfort, and it may not improve lung function itself.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

60 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Apr 2023

Finished

Feb 2024

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

65 to 75 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * A diagnosis of COPD with FEV1/FVC \<50% predicted as per the GOLD guidelines. * Self-reported dyspnea and/or arm fatigue during at least one activity of daily living that required arm exercise. * Dyspnea and/or physical activity fatigue were self-reported by the Borg Scale. * Before entering in the study, all patients had their pulmonary function optimized with long-acting bronchodilators and corticosteroids. Exclusion Criteria: * • Patients with unstable angina pectoris. * Progressive ventricular dysrhythmia. * Intermittent claudication. * Implanted cardiac pacemakers. * Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. * Peripheral vascular disease.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Chronic obstructive lung disease Neuromuscular electrical stimulation Pulmonary function (FEV1/FVC) Pulmonary rehabilitation

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Department of P.T for internal medicine, Faculty of Physical Therapy, South valley university, Qena, Egypt

    Qina, Egypt

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