General Physiology: Lessons we Learn from the Inside of our Body

Hurr et al. (2014) from the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education (The University of Texas at Austin; USA) determined whether there is a difference in cerebral vasodilatory capacity in response to rebreathing-induced hypercapnia between African Americans and Caucasian Americans. Among other parameters continuous mean arterial pressure (MAP) was recorded and monitored with the Biopac NIBP 100D system. The main result of this study was that College-aged African Americans have reduced cerebral vasodilatory capacity during hypercapnia when compared with Caucasian counterparts. Read more...

Researchers from Bydgoszcz, Poland evaluated the complex hemodynamic physiological reactions in response to whole-body cryotherapy in healthy subjects (Zalewski et al., 2013). 30 patients were exposed to minus 120°C for 3 minutes. Measurements with the Task Force^® Monitor show a significant decrease in heart rate, cardiac output and an increase in stroke volume, total peripheral resistance and baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (BRS) just after the exposure.A significant decrease in baroreceptor sensitivity (BRS) occurred within several hours after WBC exposure and might be a risk factor for subjects with primarily reduced baroreceptor sensitivity.

In Texas, Lee et al. (2013) tested the hypothesis that the magnitude of reduction in cerebral perfusion during heat stress is related to the reduction in tolerance to a lower body negative pressure (LBNP) challenge. Measured data indicated that this hypothesis is not true.

Brown et al. (2005) from Switzerland compared the cardiovascular effects of water with an identical volume of a physiological saline solution. The autonomic response to water drinking is rather unusual, consisting of simultaneous sympathetic and vagal activation: Heart rate decreased, baroreflex sensitivity and total peripheral resistance increased. These effects were absent after drinking saline solutions.

Moertl et al. (2013) explored the maternal cardiovascular systems throughout pregnancy to quantify pregnancy-related autonomic nervous system adaptions. Data recording was done at six time-points throughout pregnancy for 36 women. The cardiovascular system and the respiratory system become less coordinated than under normal physiologic conditions.

King et al. (2012) characterized the sleep-related behavior of two prototypic breath VOCs, acetone and isoprene. Both compounds displayed characteristic dynamics during sleep, with steadily increasing breath concentrations in the case of acetone and isolated but pronounced concentration peaks throughout the night in the case of isoprene.

Frauscher et al. (2012) investigated autonomic function in idiopathic REM behavior disorder (iRBD) patients and compared these findings to Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients and healthy controls. The results support the presence of autonomic dysfunction in iRBD patients which was often intermediate between healthy controls and PD patients.

General Physiology: Lessons we Learn from the Inside of our Body

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