Understanding how the brain shapes breathing to help people with persistent breathlessness
Official title: Characterizing the Sensory and Affective Neural Components of Persistent Dyspnea
Funded at Feinstein Institute for Medical Research · NIH-11417976 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how higher brain regions influence breathing and the feeling of breathlessness in people with conditions like COPD and asthma, with the goal of safer, non-ventilation-impairing treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Feinstein Institute for Medical Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Manhasset, United States) |
| Project start | August 5, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $418,750 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL163578-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11417976 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with chronic breathlessness related to conditions like COPD or asthma who have implanted electrodes for epilepsy monitoring may be eligible.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without access to intracranial monitoring or those whose breathlessness is unrelated to central brain mechanisms may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to map how higher brain areas interact with brainstem circuits to produce persistent dyspnea. By using intracranial EEG in patients with implanted epilepsy monitoring devices, the team seeks to identify the brain signals that generate the sensory and emotional components of difficult breathing. The findings could guide safer treatments that alleviate the feeling of breathlessness without worsening breathing. The study addresses conditions such as COPD, asthma, neuromuscular diseases, aging, and palliative care, where lung damage limits options. Overall, the work seeks to translate brain mechanism insights into better, patient-focused therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to safer, brain-targeted therapies that reduce breathlessness without compromising breathing.
How similar studies have gone: Prior human studies show that brain activity correlates with dyspnea, but this project advances through higher-resolution intracranial measurements to pinpoint precise mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
-
Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Manhasset, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Herrero Rubio, Jose Luis — Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
- Study coordinator: Herrero Rubio, Jose Luis
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Patient-centered risk profiling to tailor breathlessness care
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Predicting and continuously monitoring breathlessness with noninvasive signals
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-
Personalized oxygen and breathing support for cancer-related breathlessness
This trial compares a respiratory-therapist-led program that tailors oxygen and other breathing supports to help hospitalized patients with advanced cancer who are bothered by breathlessness.
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How the brain creates ongoing breathlessness
Researchers are recording brain signals from people who already have implanted epilepsy electrodes to understand how higher brain regions produce ongoing breathlessness in conditions like COPD, asthma, heart or neuromuscular disease.
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Brief behavioral support to help breathlessness in advanced lung cancer
A multi-site study tests a short behavioral program delivered by nurses to help adults with advanced lung cancer feel less breathless and more able to do daily activities.
-
Personalized oxygen therapies for cancer-related breathing difficulties
This study is looking to help people with advanced cancer who are having trouble breathing by comparing a special program led by respiratory therapists to regular care, to see which one works better at making breathing easier.
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.