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Treatment of Sleep Apnea in Patients With Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

Who can join

Ages 18 to 89 · All sexes · Healthy volunteers welcome

Inclusion Criteria:

1. healthy adults between the ages of 18 - 89
2. chronic spinal cord injury patients (T6 and above), \> 3 months since injury and not on mechanical ventilation, and have not received mechanical ventilation via tracheostomy in the past.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. subjects ≤ 17 yrs old
2. Pregnant and lactating females
3. History of head trauma that resulted in neurological symptoms or loss of consciousness
4. advanced heart, lung, metabolic, liver or chronic kidney disease.
5. severe obstructive or restrictive respiratory defect by PFTs or history of tracheostomy
6. extreme obesity defined for this protocol as BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 (to avoid the effect of morbid obesity on ventilation).

About the study

This study will investigate potential therapeutic approaches for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in patients with chronic cervical spine injury (\>6 months post-injury).

What is being tested

• Acute episodic hypoxia (procedure)
• Supplemental oxygen (procedure)
• Trazodone (drug)
• Placebo (drug)
• Sham (procedure)

Sponsor: John D. Dingell VA Medical Center · Participants: 100 · Started: Jun 9, 2017

Contact the study team

• M Safwan Badr, M.D. · Phone: 313-576-3548

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT02922894

Locations in the U.S.

Conditions

• Sleep Apnea
• Spinal Cord Injuries

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.