Yoga Breath Training to Improve Cardiorespiratory Synchrony in Spinal Cord Injury
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
- Where
- Cambridge, United StatesSee the site
- Trial code
- Status
- Recruiting
- People taking part
- 20 people, planned
- Started
- 1 Aug 2024
- Expected to end
- 1 Apr 2027
- Type of study
- Interventional
- Treatments tested
- Ujjayi Yogic Breathing
- Record updated
- 5 March 2026
Who can take part
- Age
- 18 years to 60 years
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 18 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Spinal cord injury
- American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) score of A, B, or C
- Aged 18-60 years
- Wheelchair user
- Medically stable and able to follow directions
- Body mass index of 18.5 - 35 kg/m2
Who cannot take part
- Current use of tobacco or cardioactive medications (except medication to support blood pressure)
- Significant arrhythmia
- Bleeding disorder
- Pulmonary disease
- Coronary artery disease
- Diabetes
- Renal disease
- Cancer
- Epilepsy or other neurological diseases
- Resting blood pressure of >140/90 mmHg
- Current use of CPAP/BIPAP
- Has smartphone or device incompatible with the PranaTM application
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 60 years old?
Where in United States
- Spaulding Rehabilitation HospitalCambridge, United StatesContact: Glen Picard, MSTaking people
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
The goal of this interventional study is to understand how regular yogic breathing practice, particularly a slow resistive yogic breathing technique called Ujjayi, would benefit individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 with spinal cord injuries. Previously yogic breathing has shown to improve respiratory function and sleep- we'd like to explore this further.
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The main questions this study aims to answer are:
* How does Ujjayi breathing affect breathing patterns in individuals with spinal cord injuries? * How does Ujjayi breathing affect lung function in individuals with spinal cord injuries? * How does Ujjayi breathing affect the part of the nervous system responsible for ventilatory control in individuals with spinal cord injuries? * How does Ujjayi breathing affect ventilatory perfusion (how well air and blood flow match in the lungs for efficient gas exchange) in individuals with spinal cord injuries? * How does Ujjayi breathing affect sleep quality in individuals with spinal cord injuries?
Participants will undergo six weeks of training in Ujjayi breathing. Before and after this period, they will visit the lab for measurements of blood pressure, pulse, blood oxygen levels, and breathing. They will also perform several tests:
* Pulmonary function testing to assess lung capacity and respiratory muscle strength. * Pace breathing frequency to four pre-recorded audio files at various breathing rates. * Breathing exercises involving higher levels of carbon dioxide for a short time. * Breathing exercises involving lower levels of oxygen for a short time. * At-home sleep evaluation.
Between the two laboratory testing sessions, participants will practice yogic resistance breathing (Ujjayi breathing) for six weeks.
The group in the trial
- Ujjayi yogic breathing trainingTreatment being tested
This study will be a small (N = 20) prospective cohort study with a single unblinded intervention of Ujjayi resistance breathing.
Treatment: Ujjayi Yogic Breathing
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.
- Fit questions
- Built from NCT06514950, who can take part
- Record updated
- 5 March 2026