Lung Insufflation Training Device for Breathing Function in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Tests a home lung training device to help keep breathing function in adults with ALS.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Lung Insufflation Capacity Training and Respiratory Function in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Key facts
- Where
- Kodaira, JapanSee the site
Where in Japan
- National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP)Kodaira, JapanTaking people
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?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Japan
- Trial code
- NCT07257302
- Record updated
- 30 July 2026
- Original description
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether lung insufflation capacity (LIC) training can help maintain respiratory function and prolong tracheostomy-free survival in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).Read full original descriptionShow less
Exploratory Study on the Effects of Lung Insufflation Capacity Training Using the LIC Trainer in Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Single-Center Prospective Interventional Study
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether lung insufflation capacity (LIC) training can help maintain respiratory function and prolong tracheostomy-free survival in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The main questions are:
Does early and continuous LIC training slow the decline in forced vital capacity (FVC)? Does LIC training prolong the time to tracheostomy or death?
This single-center study at the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP) in Japan will enroll 25 adults with ALS diagnosed according to the El Escorial or Awaji criteria. This is a single-arm study with no concurrently enrolled control group. Comparative analyses will use matched external controls. PRO-ACT will be used primarily to evaluate short-term respiratory-function trajectories, while JACALS, if data access is approved, will be used primarily to evaluate long-term time-to-event outcomes.
Participants will:
* Use the LIC Trainer device to perform lung insufflation training twice daily at home * Visit the clinic every 3 months for respiratory and functional assessments * Undergo respiratory tests, including FVC, LIC, maximum insufflation capacity (MIC), and cough peak flow (CPF) * Complete the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R)
Inclusion: Age 20 years or older; Diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) according to the El Escorial or Awaji criteria; Not using noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and without tracheostomy at the start of LIC training; Able to perform study assessments and provide written informed consent (or assisted signature with communication aid).
Exclusion: Chronic pulmonary disease other than ALS (e.g., COPD, interstitial lung disease); Severe cognitive or communication impairment preventing study participation; Uncontrolled cardiovascular disease, including unstable angina, recent myocardial infarction, decompensated heart failure, serious arrhythmia, severe aortic stenosis, or active myocarditis/endocarditis; Uncontrolled hypertension; Acute systemic illness or fever; Recent pulmonary embolism, acute cor pulmonale, or severe pulmonary hypertension; Any condition judged inappropriate by the investigator; Severe hepatic or renal dysfunction.