Combining breathing therapies to help restore breathing after neck-level spinal cord injury
Official title: Combinatorial respiratory rehabilitation approaches to enhance breathing recovery after cervical spinal cord injury
Funded at University of Florida · NIH-11335738 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will see whether brief bursts of low oxygen combined with breathing exercises or exercise can help people with chronic neck spinal cord injuries breathe better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2025 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $444,746 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS142310-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11335738 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with chronic (not new) incomplete cervical spinal cord injuries who have weakened breathing but retain some spinal nerve function and can participate in in-person therapy sessions.
✕Less likely to help
People with complete cervical spinal cord injuries with no spared respiratory pathways, those in the acute phase of injury, or those who cannot safely tolerate low-oxygen or higher-CO2 exposures are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
You would come to the research center for guided sessions that pair short periods of lowered oxygen (therapeutic acute intermittent hypoxia) with either physical exercise or controlled breathing with slightly higher carbon dioxide. The team will measure how your breathing muscles respond, check blood gases, and monitor breathing during daily activities before and after a course of treatments. Treatments are given repeatedly over weeks so researchers can tell if breathing gets stronger and more reliable over time. The aim is to strengthen any spared nerve pathways to improve everyday breathing ability.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could increase breathing strength and reduce breathing problems for people with chronic cervical spinal cord injuries.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies show that therapeutic acute intermittent hypoxia can improve breathing in acute injury models and that combining intermittent hypoxia with task-specific training helps other motor systems in chronic spinal cord injury, but pairing it specifically with respiratory training in chronic cervical injury is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Florida
Gainesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gonzalez-Rothi, Elisa J. — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Gonzalez-Rothi, Elisa J.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Predicting and Preventing Chronic Aspiration After Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
This project looks at swallowing problems and chronic aspiration in adults with traumatic neck spine injuries to find patterns that could prevent serious lung complications.
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Spinal Direct Current Stimulation to Improve Breathing After Cervical Cord Injury
A non-invasive therapy using gentle electrical stimulation to help people with spinal cord injuries breathe better.
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Transplanting Lab-Grown Human Neurons to Help cervical spinal cord injuries
Researchers are testing whether transplanting lab-made human neurons into the neck portion of the spinal cord can improve arm and hand function after injury.
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Neural repair for chronic incomplete cervical spinal cord injury with NgR blockade plus rehab
Aiming to help adults with long-standing incomplete cervical spinal cord injury improve movement and function by blocking a specific nerve signal pathway and adding targeted rehabilitation.
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Using a mobile robot to help people with severe spinal cord injuries live more independently
This study is working on a friendly robot that can help people with tetraplegia do everyday tasks like bathing, dressing, and eating, making life a little easier and more independent while also supporting their emotional needs.
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Improving breathing recovery after cervical spinal cord injury
This study is looking at new ways to help people with cervical spinal cord injuries breathe better by combining special breathing exercises with short periods of low oxygen, aiming to boost their recovery and strengthen their breathing muscles.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.