Changes in prefrontal cerebral oxygenation and microvascular blood volume in hypoxia and possible association with acute mountain sickness

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in prefrontal cerebral oxygenation and microvascular blood volume during exercise in normobaric hypoxia and to investigate possible associations with the occurrence of acute mountain sickness (AMS) at altitude. Twenty-two healthy individuals (age, 26 ± 4 years; peak oxygen uptake, 42 ± 4 ml kg −1 min −1) were tested in two different conditions: normoxia (NORM) and normobaric hypoxia (fraction of inspired O 2 = 0.13; HYPO). Data were collected at rest and during submaximal constant-speed exercise. The peripheral oxyhaemoglobin saturation was measured by finger pulse oximeter. Changes in prefrontal cerebral oxygenation (ΔHbO 2), deoxygenation (ΔHHb) and microvascular blood volume (ΔHb tot) were obtained by near-infrared spectroscopy. Within 2 weeks after laboratory testing, subjects rapidly ascended to 3647 m a.s.l., and AMS was evaluated using the Lake Louise scale. Eight subjects were AMS + , whereas 14 were AMS −. During NORM, near-infrared spectroscopy variables did not change from baseline values both at rest and during exercise, with similar results in AMS + and AMS − subjects. During HYPO, ΔHHb increased to a similar extent in both groups, both at rest and during exercise. The ΔHbO 2 was significantly less in AMS + compared with AMS − subjects, both at rest

LncRNA and Protein Expression Profiles Reveal Heart Adaptation to High-Altitude Hypoxia in Tibetan Sheep

“…Furthermore, we found that the polymorphism of the Apolipoprotein H ( APOH ) gene is associated with elevated levels of lipoprotein (a), an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease [ 43 ]. The incidence of ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases is significantly higher in high-altitude and hypoxic areas compared to plain areas [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ]. Fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) is a lipid-binding protein that belongs to the intracellular family.…”

Evaluating brain functioning with NIRS in sports: Cerebral oxygenation and cortical activation are two sides of the same coin

“…Further, cognitive processes associated with the best visuo-spatial abilities (i.e., neural efficiency) could be unveiled by fNIRS in the brain of highly skilled aerobatic pilots and Formula One race-car professional drivers. Finally, assessing cortical activation and tracking cerebral oxygenation changes during ascent and stay at high altitude environments may inform both on the neural correlates of cognitive control (Davranche et al, 2016 ; Champigneulle et al, 2022 ) and in the pathogenesis of acute mountain sickness (Manferdelli et al, 2021 ), respectively.…”

High-altitude Hypoxia Influences the Activities of the Drug-Metabolizing Enzyme CYP3A1 and the Pharmacokinetics of Four Cardiovascular System Drugs

“…The cardiovascular system is highly oxygen- and energy-consuming and is sensitive to hypoxia. In particular, the cardiovascular system is affected by oxidative stress, sympathetic nerve excitation, and other mechanisms in high-altitude hypoxic environments, resulting in several physiological and pathological changes [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Studies have shown that altitude and the prevalence of hypertension are positively correlated.…”