Breathing thin air to protect your throat: a new hope for TBI swallowing?
NCT ID NCT06520358
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This small study tested a technique called acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) — breathing low-oxygen air for short periods — to see if it could improve swallowing safety in people with chronic mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). Five adults completed the study, which combined AIH with swallowing exercises. The goal was to see if this approach could reduce the risk of food or liquid going into the lungs (aspiration). Results are not yet reported.
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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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5 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2024
- Finished
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Sep 2025
- 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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21 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 21-80 years * A mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) confirmed by medical records * A Glasgow Coma Scale score between 9-15 * Able to consent independently * Women of child-bearing age must be comfortable confirming a negative pregnancy prior to participating in the study Exclusion Criteria: * Other neurological diagnoses or a diagnosis of a severe psychiatric disorder * Severe aphasia preventing a participant from understanding the protocol and consent form * Pre-existing hypoxic pulmonary disease * History of obstructive lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or significant asthma) * Severe hypertension (\>160/100) * History of head and neck cancer * Allergy to barium sulfate * Ischemic cardiac disease
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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
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University of Florida
Jacksonville, Florida, 32209, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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