This study aims to characterize the cardiovascular responses to low oxygen therapy in people with complete and incomplete cervical spinal cord injury.
The first visit will be 1.5 hours in length. This visit will familiarize you with the study procedures and allow you to have all your questions answered about the study protocol. We measure your blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing at rest, and assess the health and function of your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and nervous system during breathing tests and head-up tilt. We will send you home with a blood pressure monitor to track changes in your blood pressure throughout the rest of the day and the following night, and a sleep monitoring device to wear that night to determine if you experience episodes of low oxygen during sleep.
The second visit will begin the low oxygen therapy intervention. First, we will repeat the same measurements as the first day, then have you breathe periods of lowered oxygen and increased carbon dioxide for 40 minutes, and then repeat the cardiovascular measurements again to see your immediate response to the treatment. The third, fourth and fifth visits will be shorter, repeating the low oxygen therapy session only, and the intervention will be complete after the fifth visit.
The sixth and seventh visits will be on the first and fourth days after the end of the intervention. The sixth visit will be the same as the first pre-intervention visit, with cardiovascular measurements in the lab, followed by wearing the take-home blood pressure monitor and sleep monitor. The seventh visit will include the in-lab measurements only, and the study will be concluded.
Why should you participate?
Low oxygen therapy is the repeated exposure to mildly decreased oxygen and has been shown to have various effects on the body, including improved hand, lung and lower limb function in individuals with spinal cord injury. In cervical spinal cord injury, nerves that travel through the spinal cord connecting the brain to the heart, blood vessels and lungs do not communicate effectively. This means that individuals with these levels of SCI typically have low blood pressure, decreased heart function, a reduced ability to exercise and altered blood flow to some regions in the brain. In this study, we will test whether breathing low oxygen for a short period of time improves the function of the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and brain.
You may be eligible to participate in this study if you:
- Are 19-65 years old.
- Have sustained a traumatic cervical SCI (at or above T1 level) at least 12 months prior to the testing date.
- Are free from a language barrier that would prevent an individual from following English instructions.
You may not be eligible to participate if you:
- Require a ventilator to breathe.
- Have severe autonomic dysreflexia, neuropathic pain, seizures, or an unhealed fracture, contracture, or pressure sore that might interfere with your ability to complete the protocol.
- Have a cardiovascular (heart or blood vessel) or respiratory (lung) disease, or concurrent neurological condition (e.g., multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, brain injury).
- Are currently pregnant.
Time commitment: This study will take place over 7 visits separated over a total span of at least 11 days. The total time commitment is approximately 11.5 hours. Most testing visits will last 1-1.5 hours, with one visit lasting 4 hours.
Compensation for participation: Participants will be paid $500 for completing this study. Participants who withdraw before the study is complete will be paid $20 per hour, based on scheduled time in the lab.
This study will take place at:ICORD/Blusson Spinal Cord Centre (818 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver), and the UBC Okanagan Campus (1238 Discovery Ave, Kelowna BC).
For more information or to sign up to participate, please contact study coordinator Scott Thrall by email or at (250) 807-8083.
