StrokeMA-StrokeNCT07327814
Effect of Mental Arithmetic Priming on Gait and Balance in Stroke
A study testing Mental Arithmetic and Passive Viewing in people with Stroke and Hemiparesis, run by Lebanese University at 1 site in Lebanon.
Trial summary
This study investigates the effect of cognitive priming through mental arithmetic on functional mobility in post-stroke patients. It hypothesizes that performing mental calculations (addition, subtraction, multiplication) prior to movement stimulates frontoparietal networks, thereby improving gait speed and dynamic… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 to 80 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Stroke, Hemiparesis, Gait Disorders
- What is being tested?
- Mental Arithmetic and Passive Viewing
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 17 participants
- Where
- 1 siteLebanon
- Study dates
- 1 Sep 2026to 1 Jan 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 60 to 80 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Diagnosis of stroke.
- Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥ 23.
- Ability to walk 10 meters independently (with or without assistive device).
Who cannot join
- Hemianopia.
- Wernicke's aphasia or Global aphasia.
- Orthopedic injuries or recent surgeries affecting the lower limbs.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Jihan Allaw, Master contact
Lebanon1 site
Faculty of Public Health, Branch 1
Beirut
Ahmad Rifai Sarraj, PhD, +9613662956, ahmadrifaisarraj@ul.edu.lb
About this study
Official title: Mental Calculus Can Enhance Gait Performance in Post-Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This study investigates the effect of cognitive priming through mental arithmetic on functional mobility in post-stroke patients. It hypothesizes that performing mental calculations (addition, subtraction, multiplication) prior to movement stimulates frontoparietal networks, thereby improving gait speed and dynamic balance compared to a passive control condition.
Read the detailed description
Stroke often results in impaired sensorimotor integration and executive dysfunction, leading to gait and balance deficits. Emerging evidence suggests a link between numerical cognition and motor control networks. This randomized controlled trial compares an experimental group (performing 30-second mental arithmetic tasks) against a control group (passive visual exposure). Functional mobility is assessed immediately following the cognitive stimulus using the Ten-Meter Walk Test (10mWT) and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test to evaluate the immediate "priming" effects of cognitive load on motor performance.
- Conditions
- Stroke, Hemiparesis, Gait Disorders, Posture, Disorders
- Being tested
- Mental Arithmetic, Passive Viewing
- Keywords
- Stroke, Hemiparesis, Posture, Balance, Gait Disorders
- Medical subject headings
- Stroke, Paresis, Mobility Limitation, Disease
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Mental ArithmeticBehavioural
Visual presentation of arithmetic equations (Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication) projected on a screen. Participants must calculate and verbally report the answer within a 10-second window per equation.
Passive ViewingBehavioural
Passive viewing of a black screen with no cognitive demand.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention: Behavioral: Mental Arithmetic | Experimental | Visual presentation of arithmetic equations (Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication) projected on a screen. Participants must calculate and verbally report the answer within a 10-second window per equation. Receives: Behavioral: Mental Arithmetic |
| Passive Viewing | Placebo comparator | Passive viewing of a black screen with no cognitive demand. Receives: Behavioral: Passive Viewing |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Gait Speed (10mWT)
Assessed using the Ten-Meter Walk Test (10mWT). Participants walk 14 meters; time is recorded for the middle 10 meters to determine steady-state gait speed.
Measured: Immediately following the 30-second cognitive stimulus.
Dynamic Balance (TUG)
Assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Time taken to stand from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn, walk back, and sit down.
Measured: Immediately following the 30-second cognitive stimulus.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Jan 2026
- Study start1 Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion25 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Jan 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for StrokeStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 17 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Lebanese University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Ahmad Rifai Sarraj, Lebanese University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07327814
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ED-STROKE-MENTAL-CALCULUS
- Acronym
- MA-Stroke
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 25 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 16 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Individual participant data (IPD) that underlie the results reported in this article (after de-identification) will be shared. This includes the data used to generate the tables and figures.
Publications
Khayat J, Champely S, Diab A, Rifai Sarraj A, Fargier P. Effect of mental calculus on the performance of complex movements. Hum Mov Sci. 2019 Aug;66:347-354. doi: 10.1016/j.humov.2019.05.008. Epub 2019 May 28. No abstract available.
PubMed 31146193
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Mental Calculus Can Enhance Gait Performance in Post-Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07327814
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MA-Stroke / ED-STROKE-MENTAL-CALCULUS
- Conditions
- Stroke, Hemiparesis, Gait Disorders, Posture, Disorders
- Keywords
- Stroke, Hemiparesis, Posture, Balance, Gait Disorders
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 17 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Lebanese UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 25 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 8 Jan 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.
This study investigates the effect of cognitive priming through mental arithmetic on functional mobility in post-stroke patients. It hypothesizes that performing mental calculations (addition, subtraction, multiplication) prior to movement stimulates frontoparietal networks, thereby improving gait speed and dynamic balance compared to a passive control condition.
Detailed description
Stroke often results in impaired sensorimotor integration and executive dysfunction, leading to gait and balance deficits. Emerging evidence suggests a link between numerical cognition and motor control networks. This randomized controlled trial compares an experimental group (performing 30-second mental arithmetic tasks) against a control group (passive visual exposure). Functional mobility is assessed immediately following the cognitive stimulus using the Ten-Meter Walk Test (10mWT) and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test to evaluate the immediate "priming" effects of cognitive load on motor performance.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention: Behavioral: Mental Arithmetic | Experimental | Behavioral: Mental ArithmeticVisual presentation of arithmetic equations (Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication) projected on a screen. Participants must calculate and verbally report the answer within a 10-second window per equation. |
| Passive Viewing | Placebo comparator | Behavioral: Passive ViewingPassive viewing of a black screen with no cognitive demand. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 to 80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Diagnosis of stroke.
- Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥ 23.
- Ability to walk 10 meters independently (with or without assistive device).
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Hemianopia.
- Wernicke's aphasia or Global aphasia.
- Orthopedic injuries or recent surgeries affecting the lower limbs.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mental ArithmeticVisual presentation of arithmetic equations (Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication) projected on a screen. Participants must calculate and verbally report the answer within a 10-second window per equation. | Behavioural | Intervention: Behavioral: Mental Arithmetic |
| Passive ViewingPassive viewing of a black screen with no cognitive demand. | Behavioural | Passive Viewing |
Primary outcome
Gait Speed (10mWT)
Time frame: Immediately following the 30-second cognitive stimulus.
Assessed using the Ten-Meter Walk Test (10mWT). Participants walk 14 meters; time is recorded for the middle 10 meters to determine steady-state gait speed.
Dynamic Balance (TUG)
Time frame: Immediately following the 30-second cognitive stimulus.
Assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Time taken to stand from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn, walk back, and sit down.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Jul 2026.
- Background: PubMed 31146193Khayat J, Champely S, Diab A, Rifai Sarraj A, Fargier P. Effect of mental calculus on the performance of complex movements. Hum Mov Sci. 2019 Aug;66:347-354. doi: 10.1016/j.humov.2019.05.008. Epub 2019 May 28. No abstract available.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Individual participant data (IPD) that underlie the results reported in this article (after de-identification) will be shared. This includes the data used to generate the tables and figures.
Related trials for Stroke
Not yet recruiting
Temporal Interference Stimulation for Upper-Limb Motor Recovery in Early Subacute Stroke
Acute Ischemic Stroke
RecruitingObservational study
ELATE Study: Evaluating Large-vessel Acute Thrombectomy in Extended Time Window
Acute Ichemic Stroke
Recruiting
Web-Based Tele-Rehabilitation Using Action Observation and Mirror Therapy for Subacute Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Stroke, Upper Extremity Paresis
Recruiting
Early Motor-Cognitive Integrative Training on Cognitive and Motor Performance in Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Subarachnoid Aneurysm Hemorrhage
Not yet recruiting
Selective Intra-Arterial Hypothermia After Endovascular Treatment for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion
Acute Ischemic Stroke, Basilar Artery Occlusion
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.
Jihan Allaw, Master contact
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Mental Arithmetic and Passive Viewing in people with Stroke and Hemiparesis, run by Lebanese University at 1 site in Lebanon.
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 3 inclusion and 3 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Jul 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 Lebanon. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Ahmad I. Rifai Sarraj, PhD (+9613662956, ahmadrifaisarraj@ul.edu.lb), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Gait Speed (10mWT) (time frame: Immediately following the 30-second cognitive stimulus.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07327814, which also lists 1 linked publication.
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 16 Jul 2026.