Scientists test if carbon dioxide flushes brain waste
NCT ID NCT07357090
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study explores whether breathing slightly higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) can safely increase the movement of proteins from the brain into the blood, which may indicate better waste clearance. Researchers will compare healthy adults and those with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI), using MRI scans and blood tests. The goal is to understand how CO2 affects brain cleaning processes, not to treat any condition directly.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- carbon dioxide (CO2) gas mixture
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new way to help the brain clear waste, potentially aiding recovery after brain injury.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early, small study focused on measuring effects, not treatment. It may not show clear benefits or translate into a therapy.
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
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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
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About 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Apr 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2032
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 82 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 for TBI cohort: 1) Able to give valid informed consent, 2) 18-82 years old, 3) history of TBI of any severity level (mild, moderate or severe) that was sustained in adulthood (age 18 and older), which will be confirmed using a semi-structured identification method (includes asking about loss of consciousness, posttraumatic amnesia, and feeling dazed/confused). Inclusion criteria for Healthy Subjects cohort: 1) Able to give valid informed consent and 2) 18-82 years old years old. Exclusion criteria for TBI cohort: 1) contraindications to MRI scanning including pregnancy or claustrophobia, 2) unable to give valid informed consent, incarcerated, 3) diagnosed with Alzheimer's, ADRD or mild cognitive impairment, 4) pre-existing history of autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disability, serious neurological (e.g., epilepsy, tumors, other conditions requiring neurosurgery) or psychiatric disorders (requiring hospitalization) prior to TBI onset, 5) current or previous diagnosis of a psychosis spectrum disorder or bipolar disorder, 6) respiratory diseases or pulmonary conditions that may increase the risk of study procedures (e.g., severe asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other significant respiratory disorders), 7) a history of cardiac arrythmias 8) history of a current substance use disorder, 9) non-English fluency (based on screener), 10) Weigh under 110 pounds for blood draw. Exclusion criteria for Healthy Subjects cohort: 1) contraindications to MRI scanning including pregnancy or claustrophobia, 2) unable to give valid informed consent, incarcerated, 3) diagnosed with Alzheimer's, ADRD or mild cognitive impairment, 4) history of developmental, neurological, or psychiatric disorders requiring hospitalization, 5) regular use of any substance in the past six months (i.e., no current use confirmed with urine screening), 6) previous head injury with greater than 30 minutes loss of consciousness, 7) respiratory diseases or pulmonary conditions that may increase the risk of study procedures (e.g., severe asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other significant respiratory disorders), 8) a history of cardiac arrythmias, 9) non-English fluency (based on screener), 10) Weigh under 110 pounds for blood draw.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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The Mind Research Network
RECRUITINGAlbuquerque, New Mexico, 87106, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Why a simple fall can cause brain bleeding in older adults
- Bedside ultrasound could flag hidden brain injury decline
- Zapping the brain to restore lost vision
- Machine learning may forecast brain decline after head injury
- MRI tracer could expose hidden brain energy crisis after head injury