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.
Disclaimer
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This is a summary of
the original study
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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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
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Locations
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Spaulding Hospital Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States