Can a breathing machine or a drug boost exercise benefits for spinal cord injury?
NCT ID NCT04458324
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether adding non-invasive ventilation (a breathing machine) or the drug Buspar to a special rowing exercise program can improve heart and lung fitness in people with high-level spinal cord injury. Seventy participants will exercise for 6 months while receiving either real or sham breathing support and either Buspar or a placebo. The goal is to see if these additions help increase exercise capacity and ventilation beyond what exercise alone can achieve.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Buspirone Hydrochloride (Buspar) and non-invasive ventilation (NIV)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could lead to a way to improve breathing and exercise capacity in people with high-level spinal cord injury, potentially reducing heart and lung complications.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 70 participants. The drug and device may not improve breathing enough to make a real difference, and results may not apply to all spinal cord injury patients.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Spaulding Hospital Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
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