Shock therapy for swallowing: electrical zaps may help stroke patients eat again
NCT ID NCT07415785
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether adding neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to standard swallowing therapy helps stroke patients with difficulty swallowing. Sixty adults who recently had a stroke and needed tube feeding took part. They received either NMES plus therapy or a sham treatment plus therapy for two weeks. Researchers measured swallowing function and quality of life at several follow-up visits to see if the combination worked better.
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)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a better way to help stroke patients regain swallowing function faster.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with only 60 participants. The results may not apply to all stroke patients, and the benefit over standard therapy alone may be small.
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
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60 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2023
- Finished
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Jul 2025
- 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
-
20 to 80 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.
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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.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Acute or subacute stroke; 2. Presence of dysphagia; 3. Receiving tube feeding; 4. Age between 20 and 80 years; 5. Able to understand and follow simple instructions with prompts, and able to respond to questions either verbally or through gestures. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Pre-existing dysphagia prior to the current stroke; 2. Other neurological diseases (e.g., dementia); 3. Unstable cardiopulmonary function; 4. Severe psychiatric disorders; 5. Head and neck cancer, history of surgical tissue removal, or radiation therapy; 6. Prior participation in swallowing training before this study; 7. Presence of implanted electronic devices (e.g., pacemakers, cochlear implants); 8. Impaired consciousness.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Chiayi Christian Hospital
Chiayi City, Taiwan
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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