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Can a gentle ear zap supercharge stroke rehab at home?

NCT ID NCT06616831

Symptom relief Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Aug 13, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether pairing a mild electrical stimulation to the ear with arm exercises can improve motor recovery in people who had a stroke at least six months ago. Participants will do task-specific training at home three times a week for two weeks, with the ear stimulation delivered remotely. The main goals are to see if this approach is feasible, safe, and acceptable for independent use at home.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) paired with task-specific training
What this could lead to
If it works, this could make stroke rehabilitation more effective and accessible by allowing patients to do enhanced therapy at home.
What could go wrong
This is a very small early feasibility study (5 participants), so results may not generalize. The stimulation could cause side effects or be difficult for some patients to use independently.

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

5 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Oct 2024

Finished

Mar 2025

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: * 18-80 years old with an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke that occurred ≥6 months prior; * Ability to give consent; * Unilateral limb (left or right) weakness with Fugl Meyer-Upper Extremity Scale score of 19-53/60 points which indicates adequate arm/hand use for rehabilitation tasks; * active wrist flexion/extension ≥10° with active abduction/extension of thumb and at least 1 digit ≥10° to further assure ability to participate in rehabilitation tasks; * Passive range of motion in affected shoulder, elbow and wrist within 20 degrees of normal values. Exclusion Criteria: * Other concomitant neurological disorders affecting upper extremity motor function; * Presence of Dysphagia or aspiration difficulties; * Prior injury to vagus nerve; * Pregnancy; * Documented history of dementia before or after stroke; * Documented history of uncontrolled depression or psychiatric disorder either before or after stroke which could affect their ability to participate in the experiment; * Uncontrolled hypertension; * Botox injections within 4 weeks of the first day of rehabilitation therapy.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

hemorrhagic stroke intracerebral hemorrhage ischemic stroke stroke disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Stroke Stroke hemorrhagic Stroke, ischemic

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Medical University of South Carolina

    Charleston, South Carolina, 29403, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.