Can ancient chinese music therapy help stroke survivors speak again?
NCT ID NCT07329751
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a special type of speech training using five musical tones can help people with aphasia (trouble speaking) after a stroke. Researchers will enroll 120 adults who had a stroke and have non-fluent aphasia. Participants will receive either five-tone therapy or standard melodic intonation training for four weeks. The goal is to see if the five-tone approach improves language fluency and communication.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Five-tone speech training (melodic intonation therapy based on Traditional Chinese Medicine)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new, non-drug therapy to help people with aphasia speak more fluently after a stroke.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with no phase, so results are uncertain. The therapy may not improve language more than standard training, and benefits may vary.
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
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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
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About 120 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Dec 2025
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Eligibility Criteria Inclusion Criteria: Age between 18 and 70 years Right-handed Native Chinese speakers Clinical diagnosis of post-stroke aphasia caused by ischemic stroke, confirmed by CT or MRI Diagnosis of non-fluent aphasia based on the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB), with BDAE severity rating of 1-5 Time since stroke onset ≥ 2 weeks Stable vital signs, clear consciousness, and no severe cognitive impairment Ability to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent (or consent provided by a legally authorized representative) Exclusion Criteria: History of aphasia or neurological disease not caused by stroke (e.g., traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, neurodegenerative diseases) Severe visual or auditory impairments that would interfere with task performance Severe cognitive impairment or disorders of consciousness preventing cooperation with language assessment or intervention Severe dysarthria or apraxia of speech that precludes valid language assessment History of epilepsy or other severe neurological conditions Severe systemic diseases (e.g., severe cardiopulmonary dysfunction, renal failure, hepatic failure, malignancy) Psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, severe depression, or other major psychiatric illnesses) Contraindications to MRI or fNIRS assessment (e.g., metallic implants, severe claustrophobia)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Zapping the brain to restore speech after stroke?
- Can exercise boost reading recovery in stroke survivors?
- Can singing and constraint therapy rebuild speech after stroke?
- Can training the brain to think about words boost recovery from stroke-related aphasia?
- Can an AI app give a voice to brain tumor patients?