Understanding the brain's role in persistent breathing difficulties
Official title: Characterizing the Sensory and Affective Neural Components of Persistent Dyspnea
Funded at Feinstein Institute for Medical Research · NIH-10848353 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how different parts of the brain affect breathing and cause ongoing breathlessness, aiming to find new ways to help people with chronic breathing problems feel better by focusing on the brain instead of just the lungs.
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 | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $410,448 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL163578-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10848353 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals experiencing persistent dyspnea due to conditions like COPD, asthma, or other chronic respiratory diseases.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with reversible respiratory conditions or those not experiencing significant breathing discomfort may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how higher-level brain structures influence breathing and contribute to persistent dyspnea, a condition where patients experience significant discomfort in breathing. By examining the neural pathways involved, the study aims to uncover the complex interactions between brain regions and the brainstem that regulate respiration. The research utilizes a model of dyspnea to better understand the symptoms and develop potential treatments that target the brain rather than just the lungs. This approach is particularly relevant for patients with chronic respiratory diseases where traditional treatments may not be effective.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new treatment options for patients suffering from persistent dyspnea, improving their quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promising results in understanding the brain's influence on respiratory function, indicating that this approach has potential for success.
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.
-
Patient-centered risk profiling to tailor breathlessness care
A study from UCLA aims to use AI to identify why a smoker experiences shortness of breath and tailor care to each person.
-
Understanding how the brain shapes breathing to help people with persistent breathlessness
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.
-
Predicting and continuously monitoring breathlessness with noninvasive signals
A study to create a machine-learning tool that uses easy-to-measure body signals to predict when patients feel breathless, even if they can’t communicate.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
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.