Ear zaps may speed stroke arm recovery
NCT ID NCT07254390
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a gentle, non-invasive electrical stimulation on the ear (called trans-auricular vagus nerve stimulation) can help people recover arm movement after a stroke. About 48 adults who had a stroke within the last 6 months will receive either real or fake stimulation during their rehab sessions. The goal is to see if this added stimulation improves motor function and independence more than rehab alone.
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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 48 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2025
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2027
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 years and older
- 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: * Patients with hemiplegia following ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke occurred within the previous 6 months, clinically stable * Age ≥ 18 years * Single cortical or subcortical lesion documented on neuroimaging, corresponding to the motor deficit * Cognitively able to understand and follow therapeutic instructions * Upper limb weakness confirmed by a Motricity Index score below maximum * Spasticity, if present, compatible with limb function (Modified Ashworth Scale ≤ 2) * Written informed consent provided Exclusion Criteria: * Multiple brain lesions on neuroimaging * Severe spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale 3-4) * Aphasia preventing comprehension of verbal instructions * Cognitive decline or behavioral disorders interfering with collaboration during training * Orthopedic conditions or surgical outcomes preventing the execution of the rehabilitation training
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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 places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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ICS Maugeri - Montescano
RECRUITINGMontescano, Pavia, 27040, Italy
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Feasibility of unsupervised therapy after stroke in the home setting with a hand rehabilitation device (ReHandyBot): an exploratory study
- Effects of optokinetic stimulation without a reading task in patients with hemianopic alexia
- Use of vibrotactile feedback to increase propulsion in individuals with chronic stroke
- Robot plus electrical stimulation aims to rebuild arm movement after stroke
- Can a checklist and heart monitor stop repeat strokes?
- Heart hole or stroke trigger? global registry tracks who gets closure and what happens next