Heliox to ease breathing and sharpen thinking when breathing is hard

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This interventional Phase 4 trial enrolls healthy, physically active adults aged 18–40 with normal lung and cognitive function to compare heliox versus normal-density air during controlled inspiratory resistance. Participants complete a screening/familiarization visit and a main experimental visit where they perform attention-demanding reaction-time tasks and report breathing perception while breathing under elevated inspiratory loads. Heliox is used because its low density reduces turbulent airway flow and the resistive work of breathing, allowing the study to isolate whether lowering mechanical load improves cognitive performance and reduces dyspnea. Outcomes include measures of perceived breathing effort, reaction time, accuracy, and lung mechanics.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Between the ages of 18-40 years old.
* English speaking and reading.
* Self-reported weekly activity of at least 120 minutes/week of high intensity exercise for the previous 2 years.
* Normal pulmonary function assessed by a resting forced expiratory volume in 1 second over forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) \> 75% of predicted.
* Normal cognitive function assessed using the Montreal cognitive function test \[18\].
* Body mass index (BMI) ≤ 35 kg/m2.
* Females with a regular menstrual cycle that ranges from 21-35 days (eumenorrhea)

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of smoking or recreational smoking, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, pulmonary disease (including asthma or exercise-induced asthma), neurological disease, and metabolic disease.
* Are pregnant or could possibly be pregnant by self-report.
* Are color blind.
* Known allergy or hypersensitivity latex.
* Take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, stimulant medication, antibiotics, and chronically consume pain medication (Aleve, Tylenol, etc.).
* Resting blood pressure of \> 130mmHg systolic or 90 mmHg diastolic and/or resting pulse rate of \> 100 bpm.
* Females with irregular menstrual cycles (oligomenorrhea) that ranges from 36-90 days, and females with the absence of a menstrual cycle (amenorrhea).
* Taking birth control for the sole purpose of period cessation (eg., Mirena IUD)

Where it's running

• Multidisciplinary Engineering and Sciences Hall (MESH)
  Bloomington, Indiana, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Timothy D Mickleborough, PhD
• Email: tmickleb@iu.edu
• Phone: 812-855-0753

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.