Recruiting
Phase 1
Phase 2

Low Oxygen Therapy

Sponsor:

Glen Foster

Code:

NCT06691165

Conditions

Spinal Cord Injury

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 19 - 65

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Low oxygen therapy (LOT)

Study Details

Brief summary:

This study examines the effects of low oxygen therapy (LOT) on the stability of 24-hour blood pressure in persons with chronic cervical spinal cord injury.

This study will examine if brief episodes of breathing lower oxygen, termed low oxygen therapy (LOT), which has been shown to enhance autonomic nervous system activity, can improve blood pressure stability in individuals with spinal cord injury. The research team will assess 24-hour blood pressure, as well as cardiac, vascular, and autonomic function before and after a 4-day LOT treatment intervention. This study will advance current understanding of treatments to mitigate cardiovascular disease risk in people with spinal cord injuries.

Conditions

Spinal Cord Injury

Study ID

NCT06691165

Start date

Oct 23, 2025

Status verified date

Nov, 2025

Completion date

Dec, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 19 - 65

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Are between the ages of 19-65
  • Living with a chronic cervical (at or above T1) spinal cord injury of at least one year
  • Are fluent in english

Exclusion Criteria:

  • High-cervical injuries requiring ventilator assistance to breathe will be excluded on account of the necessity of the facemask for the delivery of hypoxia
  • Unhealed fracture, contracture, or pressure sore that might interfere with participants' ability to complete the protocol
  • Additional concurrent neurological conditions (e.g., multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, stroke or brain injury)
  • Uncontrolled cardiovascular or pulmonary disease
  • Severe neuropathic pain
  • Severe recurrent autonomic dysreflexia
  • History of seizure disorders
  • Known pregnancy

Study Design

Enrollment

10 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Room air control; lot oxygen therapy; recovery/washout

Participants with chronic cervical spinal cord injury will undergo a 4-day low oxygen therapy intervention.

Measurements will first be taken at least three days before the beginning of the intervention to establish baseline characteristics, immediately before and after the first day of the intervention to assess the acute response to the intervention, and on the first and fourth days after the end of the intervention to assess persistent effects and washout.

Interventions

Low oxygen therapy (LOT)

Participants will breathe variable concentrations of inspired oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. The concentrations will be adjusted on a breath-by-breath basis to maintain end-tidal targets.

Each daily session of the intervention will consist of forty 1-minute intervals. Each 1-minute interval will consist of 40 seconds of hypercapnic hypoxia, increasing the partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide by +4 mmHg and decreasing the partial pressure of end-tidal oxygen to 45 mmHg, followed by 20 seconds in simulated room air to return to baseline carbon dioxide and oxygen levels.

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in 24-hour blood pressure [ Time Frame: Change from baseline of 24-hour mean arterial blood pressure at 1-day post-intervention ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Scott F Thrall, M.Sc.

+1 250-807-8083sthrall@student.ubc.ca

Glen E Foster, Ph.D.

+1 250-807-8224glen.foster@ubc.ca

Locations

UBC Okanagan

Recruiting

Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, V1V 1V7

Contacts

Scott Thrall, MSc

2508078083sthrall@student.ubc.ca

Glen Foster, PhD

250-807-8224glen.foster@ubc.ca

Principal Investigator:

Glen Foster, PhD

International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD)

Recruiting

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5Z 1N1

Contacts

Scott Thrall, MSc

2508078083sthrall@student.ubc.ca

Glen Foster, PhD

250-807-8224glen.foster@ubc.ca

Principal Investigator:

Glen Foster, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

Glen Foster

Last update posted

Nov 18, 2025

Last verified

Nov, 2025

Keywords

  • Low oxygen therapy
  • Intermittent hypoxia
  • Blood pressure
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Cardiac function
  • Sympathetic nervous system

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Glen Foster on 2025-11-18.