Short bursts of low oxygen may boost brain circulation
NCT ID NCT05164705
First seen Jul 20, 2026 · Last updated Jul 21, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether 3 weeks of repeated short sessions of low-oxygen breathing can improve blood flow to the brain in healthy adults aged 21 to 50. Participants wear a face mask and alternate between breathing a low-oxygen mixture and normal air for 30 minutes per session. Researchers use MRI scans to measure changes in brain blood flow and how well blood vessels respond to challenges.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Acute Intermittent Hypoxia (brief low-oxygen breathing cycles)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-drug method to boost brain blood flow, potentially helping prevent or treat conditions linked to poor circulation.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study in healthy adults, so results may not apply to people with medical conditions. The breathing protocol may cause discomfort or dizziness.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
33 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
May 2022
- Finished
-
Apr 2024
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
21 to 50 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy volunteers between ages of 21 and 50 years * No known neurological, respiratory or vascular conditions * Safe to be scanned using MRI * Able to communicate in English Exclusion Criteria: * MRI contraindications as indicated on MRI safety screening form * Subjects with pacemakers, cochlear (in the ear) implants, or aneurysm clips or subjects who have worked with metal * Pregnant women * Individuals with known neurological or vascular conditions * Individuals with sleep apnea, emphysema, or other respiratory conditions * Individuals with severe claustrophobia * Subjects unwilling or unable to give written informed consent in English * Prisoners * Frequent smoker * Allergy to Tegaderm * Blood pressure greater than 140/90 or less than 90/55. * Individuals who report headaches, feeling dizzy or light-headed, or have heart palpitations on the day of the study. * Individuals prescribed Aripiprazole and/or Lamotrigine\* Note, mild (well-controlled) asthma is not immediate grounds for exclusion. \*Other prescription medications may be grounds for exclusion; prescription medication information will be acquired during initial screening and at subsequent follow-up visits
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Healthy brain perfusion are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States