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Volume 14
Issue 12
10.3390/healthcare14121689
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Brief Report

Can Phonotherapy Serve as an Adjunct Treatment for Acute and Chronic Stroke? A Preliminary Report

by
Wiktor Rybicki
1,
Katarzyna Kapcia
1,
Marek Krzystanek
2,
Anna Brzęk
3,
Kamil Barański
4,
Iwona Schuster
5,
Dorota Szydlak
3,*,
Wiktoria Balcerzak
1 and
Anetta Lasek-Bal
1,6
1
Department of Neurology, Comprehensive Stroke Center, Upper-Silesian Medical Centre, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
2
Department of Clinical and Community Psychiatry and Psychology, Collegium Medicum, WSB University, 41-300 Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland
3
Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
4
Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
5
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Ward, Upper-Silesian Medical Centre, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
6
Department of Neurology, School of Health Sciences, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Healthcare 2026, 14(12), 1689; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14121689 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 18 March 2026 / Revised: 29 May 2026 / Accepted: 9 June 2026 / Published: 12 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Medicine Therapies for Human Health, Function, and Quality of Life)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and long-term disability worldwide. This study evaluated the feasibility, safety, and preliminary clinical effects of phonotherapy (PHT) as an adjunct to standard care in patients with acute ischemic stroke. This prospective observational study enrolled 140 patients, who were assigned to receive either phonotherapy in addition to standard care (PHT group, n = 70) or standard care alone (control group, n = 70). Phonotherapy consisted of twice-daily 528 Hz sound stimulation administered for 3 months. Neurological (NIHSS), functional (mRS), and cognitive (MoCA) outcomes were assessed at days 10 and 90. At day 10, patients receiving PHT showed significantly better neurological, functional, and cognitive outcomes compared to the controls. However, these differences were not sustained at 90 days. Phonotherapy was not an independent predictor of favorable functional outcome at 90 days. Recurrent stroke occurred in three patients (4.3%) in the PHT group and nine (12.9%) in the control group (p = 0.07). No intervention-related adverse events were observed. Phonotherapy appears to be a safe adjunct intervention in acute ischemic stroke and may be associated with short-term improvements in selected outcomes. Overall, phonotherapy appeared safe as an adjunctive intervention in patients with acute ischemic stroke and showed possible short-term associations with improvements in selected outcomes, although these preliminary findings require confirmation in randomized controlled trials.
Keywords: stroke; phonotherapy; mRS; MoCA stroke; phonotherapy; mRS; MoCA

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MDPI and ACS Style

Rybicki, W.; Kapcia, K.; Krzystanek, M.; Brzęk, A.; Barański, K.; Schuster, I.; Szydlak, D.; Balcerzak, W.; Lasek-Bal, A. Can Phonotherapy Serve as an Adjunct Treatment for Acute and Chronic Stroke? A Preliminary Report. Healthcare 2026, 14, 1689. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14121689

AMA Style

Rybicki W, Kapcia K, Krzystanek M, Brzęk A, Barański K, Schuster I, Szydlak D, Balcerzak W, Lasek-Bal A. Can Phonotherapy Serve as an Adjunct Treatment for Acute and Chronic Stroke? A Preliminary Report. Healthcare. 2026; 14(12):1689. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14121689

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rybicki, Wiktor, Katarzyna Kapcia, Marek Krzystanek, Anna Brzęk, Kamil Barański, Iwona Schuster, Dorota Szydlak, Wiktoria Balcerzak, and Anetta Lasek-Bal. 2026. "Can Phonotherapy Serve as an Adjunct Treatment for Acute and Chronic Stroke? A Preliminary Report" Healthcare 14, no. 12: 1689. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14121689

APA Style

Rybicki, W., Kapcia, K., Krzystanek, M., Brzęk, A., Barański, K., Schuster, I., Szydlak, D., Balcerzak, W., & Lasek-Bal, A. (2026). Can Phonotherapy Serve as an Adjunct Treatment for Acute and Chronic Stroke? A Preliminary Report. Healthcare, 14(12), 1689. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14121689

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