E. A. Koller

Changes of Cerebral Blood Flow during Short-Term Exposure to Normobaric Hypoxia

Decreased arterial partial oxygen pressure (PaO2) below a certain level presents a strong stimulus for increasing cerebral blood flow. Although several field studies examined the time course of global cerebral blood flow (gCBF) changes during hypoxia at high altitude, little was known about the regional differences in the flow pattern. Positron emission tomography (PET) with [15O]H2O was used on eight healthy volunteers to assess regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during short-term exposure to hypoxia corresponding to simulated altitudes of 3,000 and 4,500 m. Scans at the simulated altitudes were preceded and followed by baseline scans at the altitude of Zurich (450 m, baseline-1 and baseline-2). Each altitude stage lasted 20 minutes. From baseline to 4,500 m, gCBF increased from 34.4 ± 5.9 to 41.6 ± 9.0 mL · minute−1 · 100 g−1 (mean ± SD), whereas no significant change was noted at 3,000 m. During baseline-2 the flow values returned to those of baseline-1. Statistical parametric mapping identified the hypothalamus as the only region with excessively increased blood flow at 4,500 m (+32.8% ± 21.9% relative to baseline-1). The corresponding value for the thalamus, the structure with the second largest increase, was 19.2% ± 16.3%. Compared with the rest of the brain, an excessive increase of blood flow during acute exposure to hypoxia is found in the hypothalamus. The functional implications are at present unclear. Further studies of this finding should elucidate its meaning and especially focus on a potential association with the symptoms of acute mountain sickness.

Effect of coupling the breathing- and cycling rhythms on oxygen uptake during bicycle ergometry

SummaryThe influence of the degree of coupling between the breathing and cycling rhythms (K) on oxygen uptake

Effects of atropine and propranolol on the respiratory, circulatory, and ECG responses to high altitude in man

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Effect of exercise-induced hyperventilation on airway resistance and cycling endurance

was examined in 30 volunteers. They cycled on an ergometer with a load equal to 50% of their work capacity 170 in two experimental runs with spontaneous breathing rhythm, and in a further two runs with acoustically triggered breathing. K was continuously ascertained.

Running training and co-ordination between breathing and running rhythms during aerobic and anaerobic conditions in humans

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Design and Construction of a Pulsed Ultrasonic Air Flowmeter

and other respiratory parameters were measured by an automatic “breath-by-breath analysis” system.In 16 subjects,