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A gentler brain zap may unlock stronger arm recovery after stroke

NCT ID NCT06509789

Disease control Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Aug 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 25, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether using a low-intensity 'priming' pulse of brain stimulation before a standard theta burst stimulation (TBS) session can improve arm and hand movement in people who had a stroke at least six months ago. Participants are randomly assigned to one of four groups: low-intensity priming, conventional-intensity priming, no priming, or sham (inactive) stimulation. All receive standard motor training after each session, with three sessions per week for four weeks. The study measures changes in upper-limb motor function and brain excitability to see if the low-intensity priming approach yields the best outcomes.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Theta burst stimulation (TBS), a patterned form of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) delivered to the brain
What this could lead to
If successful, this could identify a more effective brain-stimulation protocol to enhance arm recovery in people with chronic stroke, potentially improving daily function.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage trial with a modest sample size, and results may not generalize. Brain stimulation can cause mild discomfort or, rarely, seizures, though risks are generally low.

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

About 100 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jul 2025

Expected to finish

Sep 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

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

18 to 80 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 1. Unilateral upper limb motor dysfunction caused by ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, with stroke onset≥6 months. Diagnosis will be verified using discharge summary and radiological reports issued by Hospital Authority. Qualifying participants will undergo structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the University Research Facility in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience (UBSN) at PolyU to further confirm their lesion location in the period of experimental participation. 2. Age between 18 and 80 years. 3. Residual upper limb functions between levels 2-7 in the FTHUE, indicating moderately-to-severely impaired upper limb motor functions. 4. Capable of providing informed written consent. Exclusion Criteria Patients who meet any of the following criteria will be excluded: 1. any contraindications to TMS (screened by the safety checklist by Rossi(33)) and/or MRI (screened by the MRI safety checklist offered by UBSN \[see supplement\]). 2. Diagnosed with any concomitant neurological disease other than stroke. 3. signs of cognitive impairment, with a Montreal cognitive assessment score\<21/22 out of 30 (34). 4. Severe spasticity in the hemiparetic upper limb muscles, with a Modified Ashworth score \> 2 (35).

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

stroke disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Stroke

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

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  2. The official record

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  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Jack Jiaqi Zhang

    RECRUITING

    Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 000000, Hong Kong

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