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NCT07212634Not yet recruiting

Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Dysphagia After Supratentorial Stroke

Efficacy and Mechanisms of Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Treating Dysphagia After Supratentorial Stroke

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 8 Oct 2025 · Not updated for over 12 months - ask the site whether it is still open

Brief summary (registry, in English)

It is estimated that 400,000 to 800,000 people worldwide develop neurogenic dysphagia annually. Stroke represents the most common etiology, with approximately 65% of acute stroke patients experiencing pharyngeal swallowing difficulties. Clinical manifestations of dysphagia vary widely in severity and may include residue, reflux, delayed swallowing initiation, aspiration, and cricopharyngeal muscle dysfunction. Due to its detrimental effects on nutrition, respiration, and psychosocial well-being, dysphagia significantly impairs patients' quality of life. Furthermore, the inability to swallow safely and efficiently can lead to serious complications such as aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, and depression. The traditional swallowing rehabilitation treatment has limited effect in clinical practice, which makes it necessary to search for new effective swallowing methods. Conventional swallowing rehabilitation often yields limited clinical benefits, highlighting the urgent need for more effective therapeutic strategies. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive and safe neuromodulation technique that has shown promise in the field of neurorehabilitation. Its mechanisms extend beyond immediate cortical modulation and cerebral blood flow changes to include the regulation of synaptic plasticity, neurotransmitters such as glutamate and GABA, and excitability in remote subcortical regions. In recent years, tDCS has been increasingly applied to various neurological disorders, including post-stroke motor impairment, dysphagia, aphasia, depression, addiction, and spinal cord injury-related movement disorders. Currently, tDCS is being explored to elucidate its regulatory effects on cerebellar swallowing control, positioning it as a potential innovative treatment for neurogenic dysphagia.

Status (registry)
Not yet recruiting
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
76 (estimated)
First submitted
23 Sept 2025
Start date
Dec 2025
Primary completion date
Dec 2027
Lead sponsor
Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital
Diseases
Stroke
NCT number
NCT07212634

What you commit to

  • Study type: Interventional
  • Planned participants: 76
  • From Dec 2025 to the primary completion date, Dec 2027
  • No sites listed in no country
  • Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them

Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.

Who cannot take part

Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.

Prior treatment

  • Unwilling or unable to cooperate with treatment, or taking any medication that may affect swallowing function or nervous system activity.

Other illness

  • Significant cognitive impairment (MMSE score ≤ 24);

Other

  • MRI-confirmed lesion involving the cerebellum;
  • Unstable vital signs;
  • Presence of swallowing apraxia;

Who the study is looking for

  • Patients with supratentorial stroke, confirmed by cranial MRI or CT as having cerebral infarction or hemorrhage;
  • Stable vital signs after conventional treatment, with disease duration between 1 and 6 months;
  • 30 ≤ age ≤75 years, male or female;
  • Presence of dysphagia, drinking-induced coughing, and a Kubota Water Drinking Test grade of 3-5;
  • Signed informed consent form.

Age in the registry: 30 years to 75 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers

Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov

This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.