Breathing Exercises to Help People With ALS

Plain-English translation of NCT07413718 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated February 2026 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

This study doesn't follow the usual testing phases — it may be an observational study or a different type of research.

What is this trial?

This is a study testing inspiratory muscle training — a program of guided breathing exercises that make your breathing muscles work harder, like weight training for your lungs. Researchers want to see if doing these exercises regularly can help people with ALS keep their breathing strength longer and improve their quality of life.

As ALS progresses, the muscles that help you breathe become weaker, which is one of the biggest threats to people's health and survival. This study exists to find out whether targeted breathing exercises can slow down this muscle weakness and help people breathe more easily for longer.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you have been diagnosed with spinal ALS within the last two years
you are male or female, of any age group
your breathing muscle strength is at or above the lower limit of normal
your lung function test results are normal or near-normal (at least 80% predicted values)
you are able to understand and perform the breathing exercises

You likely don't qualify if…

you already have significant weakness in your breathing muscles
you experience nocturnal hypoventilation (shallow breathing during sleep)
you are unable to perform breathing tests or learn the exercises
you have a severe psychiatric illness that would interfere with participation
you have any medical reason why breathing resistance exercises would not be safe for you

What participation looks like

You will be randomly assigned to either use a special breathing device with resistance (which makes your muscles work harder) or the same device without resistance for 12 weeks. You'll do breathing exercises regularly at home, and come back to the hospital or clinic for check-ups at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months to measure how your breathing strength changes. Neither you nor the doctors checking your progress will know which device you're using, so everyone can focus on the real results.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 4, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(1 site)

Spain

ADELA Gipuzkoa, Donostia / San Sebastian, Gipuzka