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Non-invasive Treatment for Long COVID Brain Fog

This study is looking into non-invasive treatments for "brain fog" in people with Long COVID. Researchers want to see if breathing different air mixtures can help. You might receive a placebo (a treatment with no active ingredients), or breathe air with increased carbon dioxide (Progressive Carbon Dioxide Ramping), or air with reduced oxygen (Intermittent Hypoxic Exposure). The study will measure changes in your brain blood flow, heart rate, and brain fog symptoms. To join, you need to be an English-speaking adult diagnosed with Long COVID, and not have certain heart or brain conditions. The study is currently unclear on its recruitment status and plans to enroll 45 participants.

Study design
This is an interventional study with a planned enrollment of 45 participants. It will compare different breathing interventions to a placebo.
What's involved
You would have 6 to 10 study visits (3-5 sessions per week) over 14 days, with each session lasting 60 minutes.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your brain blood flow, heart rate, and brain fog symptoms will be measured at the start, after acute exposure, and 14 days after training.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06614309

Non-invasive Treatment for Long COVID (Post COVID-19 Condition) Brain Fog

Recruiting
NAAges 18+InterventionalTreatment
Mayo Clinic
~45 participants
Updated 2026-06-05 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Acute Placebo VisitAcute Progressive Carbon DioxideAcute Intermittent HypoxiaTraining: Progressive Carbon Dioxide RampingTraining: Intermittent Hypoxic ExposureTraining: Placebo Control

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change in cerebral blood flow
Measured over Baseline, post-acute exposure and 14 days post training
+2 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Long COVID

Explore related trials

Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19

NCT06614309

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • Mayo Clinic in Arizona

    Scottsdale, Arizonastudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

Study leadership

  • Courtney Wheatley-Guy · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Mayo Clinic

Who to contact

Jordan Parks
[email protected]
480-301-6616
Email the study team

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

English speaking
Diagnosis of Long COVID

Exclusion

Any history of:
Coronary artery dissection or aortic dissection
Neurological disease (e.g. dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or other brain-related disease)
Cerebrovascular disease or stroke
Aneurysm
If currently has:
Moderate-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Uncontrolled moderate-severe asthma
Moderate-severe bronchiectasis
Moderate-severe interstitial lung disease, requiring the use of supplemental oxygen
A necessity to use supplemental oxygen, for any reason
New or worsening symptoms (decompensation) of heart failure
Right heart disease due to chronic pulmonary disease/sleep apnea
Uncontrolled myocardial ischemia or angina
Uncontrolled heart arrhythmias
Heart or lung infection (e.g. myocarditis or pericarditis)
Left main coronary artery stenosis
Moderate-severe aortic stenosis
Pulmonary embolism, pulmonary infarction, or other blood clots
Severe respiratory disease
Chronic kidney disease
Chronic liver disease
Females of childbearing potential will complete a urine pregnancy test at their baseline visit to rule out pregnancy
BMI \>40
Study staff unable to obtain adequate signal for cerebral blood flow

What this trial measures

  • Change in cerebral blood flowBaseline, post-acute exposure and 14 days post training

    The intracranial middle cerebral arteries will be obtained (MCAv) will be imaged with a linear probe and duplex ultrasound system to simultaneously measure CBFv by pulse wave doppler (peak and mean flow)

  • Change in heart rate variabilityBaseline, post-acute exposure and 14 days post training

    Short- term HRV analysis of a 3-lead ECG recording (5 minute recording) will evaluate both time-domain parameters (mean heart rate, standard deviation of normal-to-normal (NN) intervals (SDNN) and root mean square of successive differences between NN intervals rMSSD) and frequency-domain parameters (total power, high frequency (HF) and low frequency (LF) and LF/HF ratio).

  • Change in brain fog scaleBaseline, post-acute exposure and 14 days post training

    Questionnaire assessing of how much brain fog is affecting daily abilities