Hands-On nerve stimulation tested as a Drug-Free boost for stroke recovery

NCT ID NCT07822854

Symptom relief Sponsor: Nermin KART Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Sep 16, 2026 · Last updated Sep 17, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers are testing whether manual vagus nerve stimulation, a hands-on technique that targets the vagus nerve without surgery or electrical devices, can improve movement, autonomic function and thinking skills in people who had a stroke at least six months earlier. Participants receive either the manual stimulation plus standard rehabilitation or standard rehabilitation alone. The study measures changes in motor function, walking speed, cognitive scores and autonomic function over eight weeks.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: manual vagus nerve stimulation, a hands-on technique that targets the vagus nerve without surgery or electrical devices
What this could lead to: If it works, this could offer a low-cost, non-invasive add-on to standard rehabilitation that helps people regain movement, balance and thinking skills after a stroke.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage study of 34 people with chronic stroke, so any benefits may be modest or may not hold up in larger trials. Manual stimulation may also have little effect beyond standard rehabilitation.

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 34 people

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

Started

Feb 2025

Expected to finish

Jan 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

45 to 70 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: * Having experienced an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke * Diagnosed with stroke at least six months prior * No history of multiple stroke episodes * No communication impairments * Ability to read and write Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of hearing loss * Receiving additional treatment alongside rehabilitation * Cardiopulmonary disease * Gastrointestinal disease * History of a recent trauma * Presence of neurological disorders other than stroke * Presence of psychological disorders * History of a condition that could have previously affected cognitive function

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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.

Cognitive function Motor function Otonomic function Stroke Vagus nerve stimulation

Hands-On nerve stimulation tested as a Drug-Free boost for stroke recovery

What the study statuses mean