Stroke Trial, Recruiting
Who may be able to join
AI generated eligibility summary. Written by an AI model from the official source data and checked on a sample basis. It can contain mistakes, so confirm anything important against the original source. How we use AI
Who might be able to join this trial:
- People who had a single stroke (either a blocked-artery stroke or a bleeding stroke) more than 6 months ago that caused difficulty with speech (dysarthria).
- People between the ages of 18 and 75 years old.
- People who speak English.
- People whose speech is affected enough to score below 80% in at least 4 areas of a speech assessment (covering things like how clearly speech can be understood, speaking rate, and voice quality), OR below 80% in at least 3 of those areas combined with a low score on a communication participation questionnaire.
Who may not be able to join:
- People who decline to take part in the study.
- People whose brain scans show significant unusual differences in brain structure, or whose stroke affected the thalamus or cerebellum areas of the brain.
- People whose health is not suitable for a deep brain stimulation (DBS) implant surgery, or who depend heavily on blood-thinning medication.
- People who are unable to have pre-surgery MRI scans or complete the required assessments before the procedure.
- People who have a serious illness or condition other than stroke (for example, another neurological condition, cancer, severe heart or lung disease, or kidney failure), or who have significant difficulties with thinking or memory that could affect their ability to participate.
- People who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant within the next 9 months, or currently breastfeeding.
- People who are currently taking blood-thinning (anticoagulant) medications.
- People with severe claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces).
- People who are taking medications for muscle stiffness (anti-spasticity) or seizures (anti-epileptic) during the study period.
- People considered unsuitable based on results from a psychological symptom questionnaire (BSI-18) and review by the study team.
- People who score below 12 on an assessment of their ability to understand and sign a consent form.
- People who cannot have an MRI scan for any reason — including having metal in their body, a cardiac pacemaker, cochlear implant, aneurysm clip, certain types of IUD, or claustrophobia.
- People taking medications that commonly cause side effects affecting thinking or memory.
- People with bleeding disorders or problems with blood clotting (for example, from regular aspirin use).
- People whose speech difficulty is caused by damage to the lower nerve pathways (flaccid dysarthria), rather than stroke-related causes.
Important: Always verify eligibility with the trial site directly before applying.
Based on publicly available eligibility criteria from ClinicalTrials.gov. Verify directly with the trial site before acting. This is not medical advice.
Contact this trial
Principal Investigator: Jorge Gonzalez-Martinez, MD/PhD, University of Pittsburgh
Phone: 240-441-4216
Contact details sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. Verify directly with the trial site before attending.
GP referral letter
Print a one-page summary to share with your doctor.
Trial details
Where this trial is recruiting
Primary endpoints
Adverse Events; Discomfort and Pain
Can't join this trial?
Data last synced from ClinicalTrials.gov: 21 July 2026. Trial status can change. Always verify current status directly with the trial site before making any decision.