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Pure oxygen tested as a switch for dormant nerves after spinal cord injury

NCT ID NCT05467215

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Alberta Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
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Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
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Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 11, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026

Summary

Researchers at the University of Alberta are testing whether breathing pure oxygen for two minutes at a time can change sensation and movement in adults with long-standing, severe spinal cord injuries. The study enrolls 25 people aged 18 to 65 whose injuries occurred at least three months earlier and who have limited feeling or movement below the injury. Participants receive either 99% oxygen or room air through a face mask in a series of four sessions, with at least two weeks between each. The team measures skin sensation with fine hairs and reflex activity with electrical stimulation to see if oxygen exposure produces any measurable shift.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Pure oxygen (99%) delivered through a face mask
What this could lead to
If it works, brief oxygen exposure could become a simple, low-cost way to nudge sensory or motor function in people living with long-standing spinal cord injuries.
What could go wrong
This is a tiny, early-phase proof-of-principle study of 25 people, so any signal may not hold up in larger trials or translate into meaningful daily function. Breathing high-concentration oxygen carries risks such as airway irritation or, rarely, lung strain.

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

Early phase 1

The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.

Participants

About 25 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jul 2022

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

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

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show 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: 1. Individuals with traumatic SCI with onset ≥3 months prior, 2. Between 18 - 65 yr old, 3. ASIA Impairment Scale at discharge classified as A, B or C, 4. Injury level between C5 and T10, 5. Able to give informed, written consent. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Frequent uncontrolled autonomic dysreflexia, 2. Uncontrolled high blood pressure, 3. Cardiac or cardiovascular disease, 4. Cancer, 5. Active urinary tract infection, 6. Active pressure sores, 7. Signs of deep vein thrombosis in the legs, 8. Severe swelling of the feet and/or legs, 9. Severe cognitive impairment, 10. Pulmonary dysfunction such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or acute respiratory infection, 11. Any condition which would be exacerbated by sitting or lying in one position for 2 hours, such as low back pain 12. Pregnancy.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Hyperoxia Hypoxia spinal cord injury

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Spinal cord injuries

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

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  2. The official record

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  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Alberta, Clinical Sciences Bldg

    RECRUITING

    Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2B7, Canada

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