Ear-Zap hope for stroke swallowing woes in elderly
NCT ID NCT07428590
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a non-invasive device that gently stimulates a nerve in the ear can help people over 70 recover swallowing after a stroke. Twenty participants will receive either active or sham stimulation alongside standard speech therapy for three weeks. Researchers will measure changes in swallowing function and quality of life to see if the device adds any benefit.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS-E) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, non-invasive way to improve swallowing recovery in older stroke patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small early study with only 20 people, so results may not apply widely. The treatment is added to standard therapy, so any benefit may be modest.
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 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Mar 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Mar 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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70 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: 1. Age ≥ 70 years. 2. Acute stroke (0-1 month post-stroke). 3. Pharyngo-laryngeal dysphagia (Gugging Swallowing Screen, GUSS: 5/5 on preliminary test and \<4/5 on direct test, ignoring the drooling criterion which is not indicative of pharyngo-laryngeal dysphagia). 4. Ability to understand and follow experimental instructions. 5. Signed informed consent. 6. Participant covered by or beneficiary of a health insurance system.roke (0-1 month post-stroke) Exclusion Criteria: 1. Any associated medical condition preventing regular participation in rehabilitation activities at the time of inclusion. 2. Pre-existing dysphagia or dysphagia of non-stroke origin (e.g., myopathy, ENT cancer, laryngectomy). 3. Contraindications to vagus nerve stimulation (e.g., active epilepsy, active medical implants, severe cardiac pathology, severe uncontrolled psychiatric disorders). 4. GUSS swallowing test score \<5/20 at baseline. 5. Legal protection under guardianship or curatorship, or inability to participate in a clinical trial under French Public Health Code Article L.1121-16.
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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 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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CHU de Nice
Nice, 06000, France
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