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Not yet taking people in United StatesNo phase
Breathing exercise training for postural tachycardia syndrome and brain communication
Tests breathing exercise training in adults with postural tachycardia syndrome.
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Where
- Richmond, United StatesSee the site
- Trial code
- Registry title
- The Impact of Improved Vagal Function on Periaqueductal Gray Connectivity
- Status
- Not yet recruiting
- People taking part
- 12 people, planned
- Starts
- Jan 2028
- Expected to end
- Dec 2028
- Type of study
- Interventional
- Treatments tested
- breathing exercise training
- Record updated
- 16 September 2026
Who can take part
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for adults with POTS, orthostatic intolerance, fainting or near-fainting who have a first visit booked at the VCU Comprehensive Autonomics Center. They will learn breathing exercises.
- Age
- 18 to 50 years
- Sex
- All sexes
- Disease stage
- Diagnosis of POTS (postural tachycardia syndrome), orthostatic intolerance (with or without fainting), fainting, or near-fainting. A new patient visit at the VCU Comprehensive Autonomics Center must be booked at least 1 week ahead.
- Earlier treatment
- People cannot join if they already had breathing exercise teaching at a new patient visit. No unapproved drug or device in the last 30 days.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Inflammatory arthritis, connective tissue or autoimmune disease
- Other long-term nerve or brain disorders, such as neuropathy, seizures, MS or stroke
- Unstable kidney, liver, heart, lung, hormone (A1c > 9) or psychiatric illness
- Current drug or alcohol abuse, or long-term use of narcotics for pain
- Fear of closed spaces or metal in the body that blocks an MRI scan
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 18 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Age 18-50 years
- Diagnosis of POTS, orthostatic intolerance (with or without syncope), syncope, or near-syncope
- Can speak and read in English
- Upcoming new patient VCU Comprehensive Autonomics Center clinic visit scheduled at least 1 week in the future
Who cannot take part
- Treatment with a drug or medical device within the previous 30 days that has not received regulatory approval
- Any major surgical intervention with general anesthesia in the last 60 days and minor procedure, such as tooth extraction, endoscopy, etc., with local or conscious sedation within 7 days
- Inflammatory arthritis, connective tissue or auto-immune disorder
- Any chronic neurological disorder besides POTS, orthostatic intolerance (with or without syncope), syncope, or near-syncope
- Neuropathy, central nervous system disorder (e.g., Cerebral palsy, developmental delay, seizure disorder, MS, stroke, etc.)
- Any condition that in the judgment of the investigator would interfere with the patient's ability to provide informed consent, comply with study instructions, place the patient at increased risk, or which would clearly confound the interpretation of the study results (specific reason will be documented)
- Evidence of unstable medical disorder, such as kidney (rising creatinine, or end-stage renal failure) or liver impairment (rising AST or ALT, or end-stage with coagulopathy), poorly controlled significant cardiovascular (CHF), respiratory, endocrine (diabetes - A1c > 9 - or untreated thyroid dysfunction) or uncontrolled psychiatric illness (such as untreated depression, psychosis, etc.)
- Patients who have already had a new patient clinic visit where they were exposed to breathing exercise education
- Use of hormones (except insulin, thyroid replacement or oral contraceptives, which will be carefully documented)
- Current substance or alcohol abuse
- Any on-going or pending medical, health or disability related litigation, or current pursuit of disability
- Chronic use of narcotics for pain
- Claustrophobia or any metal hardware that may interfere with MRI
- Investigators and study staff
Check if you might fit
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 18 and 50 years old?
Where in United States
- Virnigia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, United StatesContact: Thomas Chelimsky, M.D.Not yet recruiting
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
This study is being to see if participating in breathing exercise training and practicing this training will help with Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS). The information may help doctors to learn more about how the different parts of people's brains communicate.
The group in the trial
- TrainingTreatment being tested
Treatment: breathing exercise training
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- The Impact of Improved Vagal Function on Periaqueductal Gray Connectivity
- Plain-language title
- Breathing exercise training for postural tachycardia syndrome and brain communicationGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
- AI summary
- From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 14 November 2026.
- Fit questions
- Built from NCT05618067, who can take part
- Record updated
- 16 September 2026