fMRI study to investigate the effects of Breathe Right Nasal Strips v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Nasal Strips in Subjects with Nasal Congestion
IRAS ID
131412
Contact name
Eugenii Rabiner
Contact email
Research summary
Breathe Right Nasal Strips (the test strips) are an existing product that’s available without a prescription in the UK and in other countries. The strips don’t contain any medicine. They contain a flat band that has 2 plastic springs which lifts the nasal passage inside the nose. Lifting the nasal passage increases airflow through the nose, and improves breathing.
We’re doing this study in 26 healthy people with nasal congestion, aged 18 and over. We’ll investigate the effects of the test strip on the nasal passages and brain activity, and what added effects they have when they’re combined with a decongesting medicine. We’ll compare the test strip with dummy nasal strips, which don’t have the plastic springs.
To investigate the effects of the nasal strips, we’ll use a type of brain scan called an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan, which uses magnetism to make images of the brain. Each participant will have 3 MRI scans in 1 day. Participants will take up to 2 weeks to finish the study, and they’ll make 2 outpatient visits.
A pharmaceutical company (GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare) is funding the study.
The study will take place at 2 research centres in London: Imanova Centre for Imaging Sciences will do the MRI scans, and Hammersmith Medicines Research (HMR) will recruit healthy congested participants, by advertising (newspaper, radio and websites); word of mouth; volunteer databases; and HMR websites.
REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/0916
Date of REC Opinion
5 Jul 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion