Menthol for Dyspnea Relief in Health and COPD

NCT ID: NCT05785026

Last Updated: 2025-11-19

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

120 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-01-01

Study Completion Date

2028-10-31

Brief Summary

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Menthol inhalation (MI) is a novel and promising treatment option for acute relief of dyspnea, however, the underlying ventilatory and/or neural related mechanisms for this relief in symptoms remain unknown. The overall aim of this research project is to systematically examine the mechanisms of dyspnea relief from MI in healthy individuals and those with COPD.

Detailed Description

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The project is structured in 5 work packages (WP), each including a different sample of healthy volunteers (WP1, 2) or patients with COPD (WP3, 4, 5), respectively with a 1:1 female/male ratio in each WP. Each WP will be single-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial to investigate the effects of MI compared to placebo in healthy volunteers during resistive loaded breathing (WP1), in healthy volunteers during cycling exercise (WP2), in people with COPD who have dyspnea at rest (WP3), and in people with COPD during cycling exercise (WP4, 5).

Conditions

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Dyspnea Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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WP 1a

Menthol inhalation during resistive loaded breathing trials in healthy participants.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Menthol inhalation

Intervention Type OTHER

300 milligrams of L-menthol will be deposited on to a cellulose swab and secured inside the lower portion of a sealed facemask.

WP 1b

Strawberry scent during resistive loaded breathing trials in healthy participants.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Strawberry scent

Intervention Type OTHER

600 microliters of 100% natural strawberry flavoring will be deposited onto on to a cellulose swab and secured inside the lower portion of a sealed facemask.

WP 2a

Menthol inhalation during cycle exercise in healthy participants.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Menthol inhalation

Intervention Type OTHER

300 milligrams of L-menthol will be deposited on to a cellulose swab and secured inside the lower portion of a sealed facemask.

WP 2b

Strawberry scent during cycle exercise in healthy participants.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Strawberry scent

Intervention Type OTHER

600 microliters of 100% natural strawberry flavoring will be deposited onto on to a cellulose swab and secured inside the lower portion of a sealed facemask.

WP 3a

Menthol inhalation during resting breathing in dyspneic COPD participants.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Menthol inhalation

Intervention Type OTHER

300 milligrams of L-menthol will be deposited on to a cellulose swab and secured inside the lower portion of a sealed facemask.

WP 3b

Strawberry scent during resting breathing in dyspneic COPD participants.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Strawberry scent

Intervention Type OTHER

600 microliters of 100% natural strawberry flavoring will be deposited onto on to a cellulose swab and secured inside the lower portion of a sealed facemask.

WP 3c

Resting breathing in dyspneic COPD participants.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

WP 4a

Menthol inhalation during cycle exercise in COPD participants.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Menthol inhalation

Intervention Type OTHER

300 milligrams of L-menthol will be deposited on to a cellulose swab and secured inside the lower portion of a sealed facemask.

WP 4b

Strawberry scent during cycle exercise in COPD participants.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Strawberry scent

Intervention Type OTHER

600 microliters of 100% natural strawberry flavoring will be deposited onto on to a cellulose swab and secured inside the lower portion of a sealed facemask.

WP 5a

Menthol inhalation and facial airflow during cycle exercise in COPD participants

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Menthol inhalation and facial airflow

Intervention Type OTHER

Menthol will be administered using a noseplug and facial airflow will be applied with a tabletop fan.

WP 5b

Strawberry inhalation and airflow to leg during cycle exercise in COPD participants

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Strawberry scent and airflow to leg

Intervention Type OTHER

Strawberry will be administered using a noseplug and airflow to the leg will be applied with a tabletop fan.

WP 5c

Menthol inhalation and airflow to leg during cycle exercise in COPD patients

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Menthol inhalation and airflow to leg

Intervention Type OTHER

Menthol will be administered using a noseplug and airflow to the leg will be applied with a tabletop fan.

WP 5d

Strawberry inhalation and facial airflow during cycle exercise in COPD patients

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Strawberry inhalation and facial airflow

Intervention Type OTHER

Strawberry will be administered using a noseplug and facial airflow will be applied with a tabletop fan.

Interventions

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Menthol inhalation

300 milligrams of L-menthol will be deposited on to a cellulose swab and secured inside the lower portion of a sealed facemask.

Intervention Type OTHER

Strawberry scent

600 microliters of 100% natural strawberry flavoring will be deposited onto on to a cellulose swab and secured inside the lower portion of a sealed facemask.

Intervention Type OTHER

Menthol inhalation and facial airflow

Menthol will be administered using a noseplug and facial airflow will be applied with a tabletop fan.

Intervention Type OTHER

Strawberry scent and airflow to leg

Strawberry will be administered using a noseplug and airflow to the leg will be applied with a tabletop fan.

Intervention Type OTHER

Menthol inhalation and airflow to leg

Menthol will be administered using a noseplug and airflow to the leg will be applied with a tabletop fan.

Intervention Type OTHER

Strawberry inhalation and facial airflow

Strawberry will be administered using a noseplug and facial airflow will be applied with a tabletop fan.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age: 18 years of age or older
* Able to speak, read, and write Dutch or English
* Normal pulmonary function: forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) to forced vital capacity ratio\>0.70; FEV1≥80%predicted (WP1 and 2 only)
* Non-smoker or former smokers (smoke-free ≥12 months prior to enrolment) (WP1 and 2 only)
* Clinically stable COPD (based on clinical judgment of the study physician that have not had exacerbations requiring escalation of medical therapy (i.e., short course of oral corticosteroids or antibiotics) within the preceding 14 days (WP3 and 4 only)

Exclusion Criteria

* Contraindication to exercise testing (e.g., significant cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, neurological disease; see Table 4 from ERS/ATS consensus statement)
* Significant pulmonary or extra-pulmonary disease that, based on clinical assessment, could influence dyspnea and/or impair exercise capacity (with the exception of COPD in WP3 and 4)
* Body mass index \<18.5 or \>35 kg/m2
* An ulcer or tumor in the esophagus, a nasal septum deviation, or recent nasopharyngeal surgery
* Severe facial trauma including cribriform plate disruption (bone separating brain from nasal cavity)
* Allergies to latex and sensitivities to local anesthetics
* Inability to give informed consent, including those with significant cognitive impairment
* Alcohol consumption within 12 hours of study visit
* Current smoker\*
* History of early menopause (age \<45 years)
* Pregnancy or desire to become pregnant while in trial
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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KU Leuven

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Daniel Langer

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Daniel Langer

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

KU Leuven

Locations

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University Hospital Leuven

Leuven, , Belgium

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Belgium

Central Contacts

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Daniel Langer

Role: CONTACT

+32 16 37 64 97

Facility Contacts

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Daniel Langer

Role: primary

References

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Schaeffer MR, Vanden Bossche L, Beckers K, Verbeke K, Janssens W, Jensen D, Arnold JI, von Leupoldt A, Langer D. Inhaled Menthol for Dyspnea Relief During Cycle Exercise in COPD: A Randomized Trial. Chest. 2025 Aug;168(2):390-401. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2025.03.002. Epub 2025 Mar 13.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 40088943 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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S66762

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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