StrokeNCT07630116
Improving Dysphagia in Stroke Patients With Chin Tuck Against Resistance Exercise
A study testing Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR) and Routine Rehabilitation in people with Stroke and Dysphagia, run by Taichung Veterans General Hospital at 1 site in Taiwan.
Trial summary
According to a 2014 report from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, cerebrovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death, with a mortality rate of 51.6 per 100,000 population, ranking fourth among the top ten causes of death. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 20 years and older
- What is being tested?
- Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR) and Routine Rehabilitation
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 112 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTaiwan
- Study dates
- 26 Oct 2024to 23 Apr 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 20 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients aged ≥ 20 years diagnosed with ischemic stroke
- NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score between 6 and 20
- Conscious and able to communicate in Mandarin or Taiwanese
- Failed the 90 mL water swallow test
Who cannot join
- Cognitive impairment
- Brainstem stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage
- Diagnosed psychiatric disorder or dementia
- Unstable vital signs
- Presence of endotracheal tube or tracheostomy
- History of cervical spine injury
- Head-of-bed elevation restricted to less than 30 degrees
- Nil per os (NPO) status as ordered by a physician
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
According to a 2014 report from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, cerebrovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death, with a mortality rate of 51.6 per 100,000 population, ranking fourth among the top ten causes of death. Stroke is often associated with symptoms such as unilateral weakness, slurred speech, facial asymmetry, and swallowing or speech difficulties, with approximately 42-67% of patients experiencing dysphagia.
Dysphagia is primarily associated with dysfunction of the pharyngeal muscles and impaired coordination, often accompanied by central nervous system dysfunction. Common symptoms include choking, coughing after eating, drooling, difficulty eating, and swallowing problems, which may lead to complications such as pneumonia and malnutrition.
Read more
Chin tuck against resistance (CTAR), developed by Yoon et al. in 2014, is a simple and non-invasive exercise aimed at improving pharyngeal muscle contraction, chewing and bolus formation, and coordination between the pharynx and upper esophagus. Previous studies suggest that CTAR exercises can effectively improve swallowing-related muscle function.
However, there is a lack of research targeting acute stroke patients in hospital settings. Therefore, this study is designed as a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of CTAR exercises in improving dysphagia.
Participants will be randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group will perform CTAR exercises once daily, five days per week, for two weeks, in addition to routine rehabilitation exercises until discharge. The control group will receive routine rehabilitation exercises once daily, five days per week.
Effectiveness will be assessed using a 90 mL water swallowing test and the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10). Baseline measurements will be conducted prior to the intervention, and subsequent assessments will be performed every two days during the study period. Additional outcomes include changes in EAT-10 scores and the removal rate of nasogastric tubes before discharge.
Read the detailed description
According to a 2014 report from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, cerebrovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death, with a mortality rate of 51.6 per 100,000 population, ranking fourth among the top ten causes of death. Stroke is commonly associated with neurological deficits such as hemiparesis, dysarthria, facial asymmetry, and dysphagia. Approximately 42-67% of stroke patients experience swallowing difficulties.
Dysphagia in stroke patients is primarily related to dysfunction of pharyngeal muscles and impaired coordination of the swallowing mechanism, often accompanied by central nervous system impairment. Common clinical manifestations include choking, coughing during or after meals, drooling, difficulty chewing and swallowing, which may lead to serious complications such as aspiration pneumonia and malnutrition.
Chin tuck against resistance (CTAR), first introduced by Yoon et al. in 2014, is a simple and non-invasive exercise designed to strengthen suprahyoid muscles, improve pharyngeal contraction, enhance bolus control, and facilitate coordination between the pharynx and upper esophageal sphincter. Previous studies have demonstrated that CTAR exercise can effectively improve swallowing-related muscle function.
However, there remains a lack of evidence focusing on acute stroke patients in hospital settings. Therefore, this study is designed as a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of CTAR exercise in improving dysphagia among hospitalized stroke patients.
Participants will be randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group will perform CTAR exercise once daily, five days per week, for two consecutive weeks, in addition to routine rehabilitation. The control group will receive routine rehabilitation alone at the same frequency.
Swallowing function will be evaluated using a 90 mL water swallowing test and the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10). Baseline assessments will be conducted prior to intervention, followed by repeated measurements every two days during the study period. Additional outcomes include changes in EAT-10 scores and the rate of nasogastric tube removal before discharge.
This study aims to determine whether CTAR exercise provides additional benefits over conventional rehabilitation in improving swallowing function in stroke patients, and to provide evidence for clinical rehabilitation practice.
- Being tested
- Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR), Routine Rehabilitation
- Keywords
- Chin Tuck Against Resistance, Stroke, Dysphagia
- Medical subject headings
- Stroke, Deglutition Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR)Behavioural
Participants perform chin tuck against resistance (CTAR) exercise once daily, five days per week, for two consecutive weeks. The exercise is conducted in addition to routine rehabilitation therapy to improve swallowing function.
Routine RehabilitationOther
Participants receive routine rehabilitation therapy once daily, five days per week, for two consecutive weeks.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental Group | Experimental | Participants receive routine rehabilitation plus chin tuck against resistance (CTAR) exercise. Receives: Behavioral: Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR); Other: Routine Rehabilitation |
| Control Group | Active comparator | Participants receive routine rehabilitation therapy only. Receives: Other: Routine Rehabilitation |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Swallowing function assessed by 90 mL water swallowing test
Swallowing function is evaluated using a 90 mL water swallowing test. Participants are assessed at baseline and every 2 days during the intervention period. The outcome is recorded as pass or fail to determine improvement in swallowing ability.
Measured: Baseline and every 2 days during the 2-week intervention period
Secondary outcomes (1)
Swallowing-related quality of life assessed by EAT-10
The total score ranges from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating more severe dysphagia symptoms. A score of 3 or higher is considered indicative of a risk of dysphagia
Measured: Baseline and once weekly during the 2-week intervention period
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Jun 2026
- Study start26 Oct 2024
- Primary completion20 Apr 2026
- Study completion23 Apr 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for StrokeStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Taichung Veterans General HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 112 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Taichung Veterans General Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, HUANG CHIAO LIN, Taichung Veterans General Hospital
- Investigators
- Hsiao-Chi Nieh, Nursing Supervisor, Principal investigator, Taichung Veterans General Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07630116
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- CF24234C
- Status last verified
- Jun 2024
- First submitted
- 1 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 5 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared due to privacy and confidentiality concerns. The dataset contains sensitive clinical information, and sharing is restricted to protect participant identity in accordance with institutional policies and ethical regulations.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Improving Dysphagia in Stroke Patients With Chin Tuck Against Resistance Exercise
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07630116
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CF24234C
- Keywords
- Chin Tuck Against Resistance, Stroke, Dysphagia
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 112 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Taichung Veterans General HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 26 Oct 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 20 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 23 Apr 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 5 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
According to a 2014 report from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, cerebrovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death, with a mortality rate of 51.6 per 100,000 population, ranking fourth among the top ten causes of death. Stroke is often associated with symptoms such as unilateral weakness, slurred speech, facial asymmetry, and swallowing or speech difficulties, with approximately 42-67% of patients experiencing dysphagia.
Dysphagia is primarily associated with dysfunction of the pharyngeal muscles and impaired coordination, often accompanied by central nervous system dysfunction. Common symptoms include choking, coughing after eating, drooling, difficulty eating, and swallowing problems, which may lead to complications such as pneumonia and malnutrition.
Chin tuck against resistance (CTAR), developed by Yoon et al. in 2014, is a simple and non-invasive exercise aimed at improving pharyngeal muscle contraction, chewing and bolus formation, and coordination between the pharynx and upper esophagus. Previous studies suggest that CTAR exercises can effectively improve swallowing-related muscle function.
However, there is a lack of research targeting acute stroke patients in hospital settings. Therefore, this study is designed as a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of CTAR exercises in improving dysphagia.
Participants will be randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group will perform CTAR exercises once daily, five days per week, for two weeks, in addition to routine rehabilitation exercises until discharge. The control group will receive routine rehabilitation exercises once daily, five days per week.
Effectiveness will be assessed using a 90 mL water swallowing test and the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10). Baseline measurements will be conducted prior to the intervention, and subsequent assessments will be performed every two days during the study period. Additional outcomes include changes in EAT-10 scores and the removal rate of nasogastric tubes before discharge.
Detailed description
According to a 2014 report from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, cerebrovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death, with a mortality rate of 51.6 per 100,000 population, ranking fourth among the top ten causes of death. Stroke is commonly associated with neurological deficits such as hemiparesis, dysarthria, facial asymmetry, and dysphagia. Approximately 42-67% of stroke patients experience swallowing difficulties.
Dysphagia in stroke patients is primarily related to dysfunction of pharyngeal muscles and impaired coordination of the swallowing mechanism, often accompanied by central nervous system impairment. Common clinical manifestations include choking, coughing during or after meals, drooling, difficulty chewing and swallowing, which may lead to serious complications such as aspiration pneumonia and malnutrition.
Chin tuck against resistance (CTAR), first introduced by Yoon et al. in 2014, is a simple and non-invasive exercise designed to strengthen suprahyoid muscles, improve pharyngeal contraction, enhance bolus control, and facilitate coordination between the pharynx and upper esophageal sphincter. Previous studies have demonstrated that CTAR exercise can effectively improve swallowing-related muscle function.
However, there remains a lack of evidence focusing on acute stroke patients in hospital settings. Therefore, this study is designed as a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of CTAR exercise in improving dysphagia among hospitalized stroke patients.
Participants will be randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group will perform CTAR exercise once daily, five days per week, for two consecutive weeks, in addition to routine rehabilitation. The control group will receive routine rehabilitation alone at the same frequency.
Swallowing function will be evaluated using a 90 mL water swallowing test and the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10). Baseline assessments will be conducted prior to intervention, followed by repeated measurements every two days during the study period. Additional outcomes include changes in EAT-10 scores and the rate of nasogastric tube removal before discharge.
This study aims to determine whether CTAR exercise provides additional benefits over conventional rehabilitation in improving swallowing function in stroke patients, and to provide evidence for clinical rehabilitation practice.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental Group | Experimental | Behavioral: Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR), Other: Routine RehabilitationParticipants receive routine rehabilitation plus chin tuck against resistance (CTAR) exercise. |
| Control Group | Active comparator | Other: Routine RehabilitationParticipants receive routine rehabilitation therapy only. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 20 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Patients aged ≥ 20 years diagnosed with ischemic stroke
- NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score between 6 and 20
- Conscious and able to communicate in Mandarin or Taiwanese
- Failed the 90 mL water swallow test
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Cognitive impairment
- Brainstem stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage
- Diagnosed psychiatric disorder or dementia
- Unstable vital signs
- Presence of endotracheal tube or tracheostomy
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR)Participants perform chin tuck against resistance (CTAR) exercise once daily, five days per week, for two consecutive weeks. The exercise is conducted in addition to routine rehabilitation therapy to improve swallowing function. | Behavioural | Experimental Group |
| Routine RehabilitationParticipants receive routine rehabilitation therapy once daily, five days per week, for two consecutive weeks. | Other | Control Group, Experimental Group |
Primary outcome
Swallowing function assessed by 90 mL water swallowing test
Time frame: Baseline and every 2 days during the 2-week intervention period
Swallowing function is evaluated using a 90 mL water swallowing test. Participants are assessed at baseline and every 2 days during the intervention period. The outcome is recorded as pass or fail to determine improvement in swallowing ability.
1 secondary outcome
Swallowing-related quality of life assessed by EAT-10
Time frame: Baseline and once weekly during the 2-week intervention period
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared due to privacy and confidentiality concerns. The dataset contains sensitive clinical information, and sharing is restricted to protect participant identity in accordance with institutional policies and ethical regulations.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Hsiao-Chi Nieh, Nursing Supervisor principal investigator
Taichung Veterans General Hospital
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR) and Routine Rehabilitation in people with Stroke and Dysphagia, run by Taichung Veterans General Hospital at 1 site in Taiwan.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Taiwan. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Swallowing function assessed by 90 mL water swallowing test (time frame: Baseline and every 2 days during the 2-week intervention period). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 Jun 2026.