NCT05180981

Imaging Brain Fluids During Breathing

Neuroimaging the Impact of Respiration and Respiratory-gated Neuromodulation on Human Glymphatic Physiology

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 80 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Boston University Charles River Campus · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study will perform magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of hemodynamics and cerebrospinal fluid flow across breathing tasks and during breath-locked neuromodulation.

Detailed description

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow is essential for brain health, as it clears waste products from the brain. This study will investigate how breathing affects the flow of CSF around the brain. The investigators will perform high resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in participants who are breathing in specific patterns or performing simple tasks and test the effects on CSF flow. Participants will complete an imaging study visit in which the investigators will image their brain activity while they perform simple tasks, including paced breathing tasks. The participants will be split into two arms: (1) paced breathing (25 participants low resolution, 15 participants high resolution), (2) transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (25 participants low resolution, 15 participants high resolution). The MRI scans will take place in the 7 Tesla MRI scanner at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Conditions

• Healthy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation	Noninvasive stimulation vs sham stimulation will be delivered via an auricular device.
BEHAVIORAL	Breathing task	Participants will be asked to breathe in specific patterns.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-01-18
• Primary completion: 2026-04-30
• Completion: 2026-05-01
• First posted: 2022-01-06
• Last updated: 2023-06-15

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States