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K01 Impacts of Lingual Endurance Exercise
Impact of Lingual Endurance Exercise on Rehabilitation of Swallowing Impairments After Ischemic Stroke
Who can join
Ages 18 and older · All sexes
Full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * 1\) 3-6 months since most recent diagnosis of ischemic, confirmed from clinical imaging) with or without small hemorrhagic transformation (HI-1) * 2\) English Speaking Exclusion Criteria: * 1\) ≤18 years of age * 2\) history of dysphagia prior to or after the stroke caused by any of the following conditions: gastrointestinal disease, traumatic brain injury, head and neck cancer, surgery involving the pharynx or larynx * 3\) history of other neurological disease (i.e. multiple sclerosis, ALS, Parkinson's, dementia). 5\) 5) History of temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (also known as TMJ).
About the study
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a tongue endurance exercise program can improve swallowing function in adults with dysphagia after a stroke. It also aims to explore how this exercise may affect brain structure and connectivity involved in swallowing. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Primary Aim: Does lingual endurance exercise improve swallowing function compared to a sham therapy? Secondary Aim: Does lingual endurance exercise lead to changes in brain structure or neuroplasticity, as measured by MRI?
Researchers will compare a group receiving tongue endurance exercises to a sham therapy group to see whether the treatment improves tongue function, swallowing.
Participants will:
* Complete a baseline swallowing assessment and MRI * Be randomly assigned to either the lingual exercise or sham therapy group * Complete 8 weeks of home-based tongue exercise therapy * Return for follow-up swallowing assessments * A subgroup of participants will complete a pre-treatment and post-treatment MRI.
What is being tested
- Isotonic Endurance Exercise (behavioral)
- Sham Exercise (behavioral)
Sponsor: University of Cincinnati · Participants: 70 · Started: Sep 1, 2023
Contact the study team
- Anna Hopkins, MS · Phone: +1 513 558 4152
- Rebecca Reinert · Phone: +1 513 558 1719
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT06072924
Locations in the U.S.
| Ohio | University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati |
Conditions
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.