Exploratory Study on the Potential Cross-System Effects of BCI-FES Hand Therapy on Dysphagia and Aphasia in Chronic Stroke Patients

Launched by VASCAGE GMBH · Apr 15, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring a new therapy called Brain-Computer Interface Functional Electrical Stimulation (BCI-FES) to see if it can help improve swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) and language problems (aphasia) in people who have had a stroke. The study aims to understand how using this therapy for hand rehabilitation can also benefit other areas affected by a stroke.

To participate, individuals must be at least 18 years old and have had a stroke more than three months ago, resulting in issues with movement in their arms and difficulties with speech or swallowing. Participants should be able to follow simple instructions and sit for at least an hour. The study is not yet recruiting, but if you or someone you know is interested, it’s important to note that certain medical conditions may exclude someone from participating. Overall, this trial could lead to new ways to help stroke survivors regain important functions and improve their quality of life.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age: Participants must be aged 18 years or older.
• • Post-Stroke Phase: Participants must be within the chronic post-stroke phase (time since ischemic or haemorrhagic stroke greater than 3 months).
• • Motor Impairment: Participants must exhibit disabling left or right residual arm paresis ("left/right arm motor drift" part of the NIHSS score ≥1).
• * Speech/Swallowing Impairment: Participants must have:
• • Aphasia (AAT-Skala zum Kommunikationsverhalten score ≤3), and/or
• • Dysphagia (MUCCS-N score ≥2).
• • Stable Neurological Status: No relevant changes in neurological status in the past 4 weeks (self-reported).
• • Motor Function: Participants must be able to raise at least 1 block similar to the ones in Box-and-Block-Test.
• • Cognitive Understanding: Participants must be able to understand basic spoken instructions.
• • Sitting Tolerance: Participants must be able to maintain a sitting position for at least 60 minutes.
• • Willingness to Participate: Participants must be willing to participate in the study and able to understand and sign the informed consent.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Cognitive Impairments: Cognitive impairments that, in the investigator's judgment, could limit understanding of task instructions.
• • Stroke Location: Participants with a brainstem and/or cerebellar stroke.
• • Previous Stroke: Participants with a previous disabling stroke.
• • Hemi-Neglect: Pronounced hemi-neglect at the last documented therapy visit that limits compliance with treatment intervention (investigator's judgment).
• • Anosognosia: Pronounced anosognosia at the last documented therapy visit that limits compliance with treatment intervention (investigator's judgment).
• • Spasticity: Severe spasticity in the affected limb, resulting in complete rigidity in flexion or extension.
• • Seizure Disorders: Participants with uncontrolled epilepsy (investigator's judgement) or epileptic seizure within the last month.
• • Intracranial Pressure: Known ongoing elevated intracranial pressure.
• • Implanted Medical Devices: Participants with implanted medical devices with contraindication for FES such as pacemakers.
• • Metallic Fragments: Participants with implanted metallic fragments in the extremity planned for FES that would limit the use of functional electrical stimulation (FES).
• • Unhealed Injuries: Unrecovered fractures or skin/tissue lesions in the FES stimulated extremity.
• • Joint Issues: Ossification, contraction, or stiffness of the wrist joint in the FES stimulated extremity that would limit treatment.
• • Botulinum Toxin: Participants who received botulinum-toxin treatment within 6 weeks prior to study inclusion and/or for whom botulinum-toxin treatment is planned during the study duration.
• * Co-morbidities: The following conditions will exclude participation:
• • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Stage IV).
• • Cardiac insufficiency (NYHA Stage IV).
• • Severe acute infections.
• • Significant circulatory disturbances in the stimulated extremity.
• • Sensory disorders that significantly impair the patient's ability to feel pain or react to unsuitable proprioceptive stimuli.
• • Any other general medical conditions that, in the investigator's judgment, limit the safety or performance of study procedures (investigator's judgement).
• • Electrical Stimulation Intolerance: Known inability to tolerate cutaneous electrical stimulation.