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Tongue-strengthening Exercises in People With ALS.

NCT07295990 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 20

Last updated 2026-05-11

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study is testing a tongue exercise program for people living with ALS to see if it can help support speech and swallowing. All participants will receive the treatment, and researchers will measure changes over time by comparing each person's results to their own earlier results.

People who join the study will have two in-person visits and four weekly telehealth sessions with a speech-language pathologist. During these sessions, participants will practice tongue resistance exercises, complete speech and swallowing tasks, and answer surveys about their experience. They will also use a small device at home to measure tongue strength and swallowing.

The exercise program involves pressing the tongue against a device several times a day, five days per week, for five weeks. Researchers want to learn if this program is safe, practical, and helpful for people with ALS.

Conditions

  • ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
  • ALS - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Isometric Lingual Strength Exercises

Direct intervention will consist of an isometric lingual exercise program designed specifically for patients with ALS. Participants will complete five exercise sessions per week for a total of five weeks, with each session including six sets of five repetitions (30 repetitions daily, 150 repetitions weekly). Exercises will be performed at 60% of each participant's maximum isometric anterior lingual pressure (MAIP), with each tongue press held for approximately two seconds. Training thresholds will be adjusted weekly via telehealth to ensure the program remains at the prescribed 60% intensity, supporting both safety and consistency in progression. This structured protocol is intended to maximize lingual strength, swallow function, and overall adherence to the intervention.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Nova Southeastern University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Lauren Tabor Gray, Ph.D. · Neuroscience Institute, Cathy J. Husman ALS Center

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
99 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-05-01
Primary Completion
2028-12-31
Completion
2029-01-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07295990 on ClinicalTrials.gov