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Could a simple electrical patch help seniors regain leg strength?
NCT ID NCT07668258
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a home-use electrical stimulation device can safely improve leg muscle strength and physical performance in 40 older adults with sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss). Participants use the device on their thighs for 20 minutes, at least 4 times a week, for 8 weeks. The trial is double-blind and sham-controlled, meaning some will get a placebo device, to see if the real device truly helps.
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 (NMES) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a simple, home-based way to help older adults with sarcopenia regain leg strength and mobility.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early exploratory trial with only 40 participants. The sham control may reveal no benefit, and results may not apply to all people with sarcopenia.
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 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jun 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
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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50 to 85 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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. Diagnosed with sarcopenia according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (2019) criteria 2. Able to perform the exercise program provided by the investigators, with sufficient physical and cognitive function 3. Able to understand the study explanation and provide voluntary informed consent 4. Able to operate a mobile phone independently or with assistance from a caregiver Exclusion Criteria: 1\) History of Knee Surgery * Any prior surgical procedure on either knee (right or left) 2) Recent Knee Injection or Procedure * Receipt of any injection or interventional procedure in either knee within the past 3 months 3) Ongoing Treatment for Knee Pain * Currently receiving medication or physical therapy for knee pain 4) Implanted Electrical Devices * Presence of an implanted electrical device (e.g., pacemaker, electrical stimulator) 5) Seizure Disorder * Current or past history of seizures requiring medication 6) Severe Peripheral Arterial Disease * Significant arterial circulatory disorder in the lower extremities 7) Hernia * Presence of abdominal or inguinal hernia 8) Difficulty Operating Devices * Difficulty operating medical devices or mobile phones 9) Metal Allergy * Known metal allergy that interferes with device application 10) Skin Lesions on Thigh * Skin conditions on the thigh (e.g., burns, scars) that interfere with electrical stimulation 11) Suspected Infection on Thigh * Signs suggestive of infection on the thigh (e.g., erythema, warmth) 12) Impaired Sensation at Patch Site * Reduced sensation at the patch site preventing adequate self-reporting 13) End-stage Organ Failure * Diagnosis of end-stage heart failure or end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis 14) Abnormal Laboratory Findings * Any of the following (based on the most recent test within 6 months; if unavailable, a screening CBC will be performed): * Platelet count \< 50,000/μL * Hemoglobin \< 8.0 g/dL * Absolute neutrophil count \< 1,000/μL 15) Impaired Ambulation * Difficulty walking due to visual impairment, fracture, severe muscle paralysis, dizziness, or other causes 16) Inability to Participate in Rehabilitation Exercise * Judged by the investigator as unable to participate in rehabilitation exercise For example, diagnosis of Cachexia, defined as: Unintentional weight loss ≥ 5% within the past 6 months, or BMI \< 20 kg/m² with ≥ 2% weight loss 17) Withdrawal or Lack of Consent 18) Other Reasons * Any other condition deemed by the investigator to make the participant unsuitable for participation in this clinical trial
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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
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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.
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