Altitude Acclimatization (Ventilation and Chemoresponsiveness) during Wakefulness and Sleep,

Abstract

Although the influence of altitude acclimatization on respiration has been carefully studied, the associated changes in hypoxic and hypercapnic ventilatory responses are the subject of controversy and neither response has been carefully evaluated during sleep at altitude. To answer these questions, six healthy males were studied at sea level and on nights 1, 4, and 7 following arrival at altitude (14,110 ft). During wakefulness ventilation and the ventilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia were determined on each occasion. During both NREM and REM sleep at sea level and on all three nights at altitude, ventilation and the hypercapnic ventilatory response were measured. With acclimatization to high altitude ventilation increased during both wakefulness and sleep which reflected primarily increasing respiratory frequency. The slope of the hypercapnic response, although initially increased at altitude slope of the hypercapnic response, although initially increased at altitude (day 1), did not rise further with acclimatization although the position of this response shifted significantly to the left during wakefulness and sleep. Finally, sleep induced similar decrements in both ventilation and hypercapnic responsiveness at altitude to those seen at sea level. Keywords: Rapid eye movement in sleep.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1986
Accession Number
ADA167738

Entities

People

  • Anne M. Rannels
  • Cheryl K. Pickett
  • David P. White
  • John T. Reeves
  • Kevin Gleeson

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acclimatization
  • Altitude
  • Altitude Acclimatization
  • Barometric Pressure
  • Data Analysis
  • Environmental Health
  • Frequency
  • High Altitude
  • Hypercapnia
  • Measurement
  • Observation
  • Oxygenation
  • Respiration
  • Saturation
  • Sea Level
  • Sensitivity
  • United States

Readers

  • Circadian Sleep-Wake Regulation and Chronobiology
  • Marine Mammal Biology