Mild Intermittent Hypoxia: A Prophylactic for Autonomic Dysfunction in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injuries

The prevalence of autonomic dysfunction and sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is increased in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). The loss of autonomic control results in autonomic dysreflexia (AD) and orthostatic hypotension (OH) which explains the increase in cardiovascular related mortality in these Veterans. There is no effective prophylaxis for autonomic dysfunction. The lack of prophylactic treatment for autonomic dysfunction, and no best clinical practices for SDB in SCI, are significant health concerns for Veterans with SCI. Therefore, the investigators will investigate the effectiveness of mild intermittent hypoxia (MIH) as a prophylactic for autonomic dysfunction in patients with SCI. The investigators propose that MIH targets several mechanisms associated with autonomic control and the co-morbidities associated with SDB. Specifically, exposure to MIH will promote restoration of homeostatic BP control, which would be beneficial to participation in daily activities and independence in those with SCI.

NCT Number	NCT05351827
Lead Sponsor	VA Office of Research and Development Collaborators: John D. Dingell VA Medical Center
Conditions	Spinal Cord Injuries, Autonomic Dysreflexia
Enrollment	24 participants
Start Date	2022-10-01
Primary Completion	2027-10-29 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-10-29 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-08-14