Breathe away anxiety? stanford tests cyclic sighing and box breathing.
NCT ID NCT06526585
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study from Stanford University tests whether two breathing techniques—cyclic sighing and box breathing—can lower anxiety, compared to hypnosis or listening to an audiobook about stress. Eighty adults will practice daily for 4 weeks and have their brain activity and heart rate measured using MRI and wearable sensors. The goal is to see if these simple practices provide immediate and lasting relief from anxiety.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- breathing exercises (cyclic sighing and box breathing)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward simple, drug-free breathing techniques to help manage anxiety in daily life.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 80 participants. Results may not apply to everyone, and the benefits might be no better than listening to an audiobook.
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 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2025
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
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 years and older
- 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: * Age 18 or older * No contraindications to MRI imaging (like ferromagnetic metal in their body) Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant or planning to get pregnant during study participation. * Not able or willing to come to research location twice for MRI assessments
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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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Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Stanford, California, 94305, United States
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