Role of Endorphins in Perception of Dyspnea With Resistive Loading in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

In brief

Endorphins are released in response to breathing difficulty and can modify the perception of breathlessness. In this randomized placebo-controlled trial, resistive breathing loads are used to provoke breathlessness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The hypothesis of the study is that intravenous (IV) administration of naloxone, a medication which blocks endorphin activity, will increase the perception of breathlessness experienced by patients while breathing through a resistance device, compared with IV administration of normal saline.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00958919

Run by

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

People needed

14

Starts

2009-08-01

Expected to finish

2010-10-01

Last updated by the study team

2013-04-11

Who can join

Age: 50 and older, up to 90. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Male or female patient 50 years of age or older;
• A diagnosis of COPD defined by American Thoracic Society-European Respiratory Society criteria
• Current or former smoker with a smoking history of greater than or equal to 10 pack-years;
• A post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) greater than or equal to 30% predicted and less than or equal to 80% predicted; AND
• A post-bronchodilator FEV1/forced vital capacity ratio less than 70%; and clinically stable COPD.

You may not qualify if…

• Any patient who has a concomitant disease that might interfere with study procedures or evaluation;
• Inability to perform resistive breathing maneuvers; OR
• Any current use of a narcotic medication.

Where it is running

• Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center — Lebanon, New Hampshire, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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