The Use of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in the Rehabilitation of Post-Stroke Dysphagia During the Subacute Phase in Hospitalized Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial

NCT07732673 | Active Not Recruiting DMC FDA Device

• 1 other identifier: CAAE: 97597526.4.0000.8767
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 66
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this clinical trial is to determine whether the use of tDCS in dysphagia rehabilitation during the subacute phase of stroke assists in the recovery process while patients are still hospitalized. Patients aged 60 to 80 years who have suffered a stroke and are in the subacute phase of the disease, admitted to the hospital, will be recruited to receive tDCS application contralateral to the lesion for 10 sessions, combined with conventional speech-language therapy for swallowing rehabilitation. The primary question it aims to answer is whether the use of tDCS combined with swallowing rehabilitation accelerates recovery compared to conventional speech-language therapy alone.

Conditions

Stroke; Dysphagia

Keywords

Stroke; Dysphagia; tDCS

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• ACompare the effectiveness of the intervention

  Evaluate swallowing in participants by comparing time measurements on the first day, fifth day, and tenth day of intervention.

  Ten days

Study Arms (2)

Control Group

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Sham tDCS

Device: tDCS Sham

Experimental Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Active tDCS

Device: tDCS

Interventions

tDCS DEVICE

Active tDCS + Swallowing rehabilitation

Experimental Group

tDCS Sham DEVICE

Sham tDCS + Swallowing rehabilitation

Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years - 80 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Inpatients at Hospital Regional Dr. Abelardo Santos. Aged 60 to 80 years. Diagnosis of neurogenic oropharyngeal dysphagia ranging from mild-to-moderate, moderate, to moderate-to-severe (Padovani et al., 2007).
• Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke with unilateral cortical lesion, confirmed by brain imaging (Computed Tomography or Magnetic Resonance Imaging).
• Subacute phase of stroke (from day 8 post-ictus up to 6 months after stroke onset).
• Hemodynamically stable. Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13, enabling participation in the intervention protocol.
• Signed Informed Consent Form provided by the participant or their legally authorized representative.

You may not qualify if:

• Patients who underwent surgical intervention due to stroke. Presence of electronic devices or metallic implants in the skull or cervical region.
• History of recent seizures or uncontrolled epilepsy. Presence of other neurological diseases associated with stroke (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease).
• History of multiple previous strokes. Dysphagia resulting from other etiologies, such as cervical trauma or head and neck neoplasms.
• Cognitive impairment preventing proper participation in the proposed intervention protocol.
• Occurrence of any allergic reaction or adverse effect related to transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Juliane Lisboa Pereira: lead
• Universidade do Estado do Para: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Hospital Regional Dr Abelardo Santos

Belém, Pará, 66811-000., Brazil

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stroke; Deglutition Disorders

Interventions

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Cerebrovascular Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Esophageal Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Digestive System Diseases; Pharyngeal Diseases; Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Electric Stimulation Therapy; Therapeutics; Convulsive Therapy; Psychiatric Somatic Therapies; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Electroshock; Psychological Techniques

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Juliane Lisboa Pereira

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 23, 2026
• First Posted: July 29, 2026
• Study Start: July 16, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Last Updated: July 29, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Locations

BR (1)