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Neurovascular coupling (NVC) is the link between neuronal metabolic activity and regional cerebral blood flow. NVC is responsible for ensuring adequate delivery of nutrients (O2 and glucose) during periods of increased neuronal metabolic demand. Exposure to high‐altitude (HA) elicits ventilatory and acid‐base adjustments for maintaining blood pH. Acute exposure to HA causes hypoxic vasodilation. Hypoxia also drives a ventilatory response, inducing hypocapnia, a potent vasoconstrictor. Whether these dynamic and conflicting responses affect NVC during incremental ascent to HA is unclear.The aim of this project was to assess whether changes in arterial blood gases (ABGs) associated with ascent to HA influences the NVC response. Given that CBF is particularly sensitive to changes in PaCO2, we hypothesized that hypocapnic vasoconstriction during ascent would decrease the NVC response with ascent.10 healthy study participants (21.7±1.3 yrs, 70.46±13.65kg, mean±SD) were recruited as part of a research expedition to Everest base camp, Nepal. Resting posterior cerebral artery velocity (PCAv), ABGs (PaO2, PaCO2), SaO2, arterial blood pH and bicarbonate [HCO3−] were measured at four locations: Calgary (1045m; baseline; BL), Namche (3440m), Deboche (3820m) and Pheriche (4370m). Resting PCAv was measured using transcranial Doppler ultrasound. Arterial blood draws were taken from the radial artery and analysed using a portable blood gas/electrolyte analyser used to monitor changes in ABGs (PaCO2, PaO2, SaO2), pH and [HCO3−] during ascent. NVC was tested via visual stimulation (VS; Strobe light; 6Hz; 30sec on/off ×3). The NVC response was averaged across three VS trials at each location. NVC was quantified as the change (delta) in mean and peak PCAv from baseline, during VS.A one‐factor‐repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess for differences in baseline PCAv, NVC, ABGs, blood pH and [HCO3−] between locations. PaO2, PaCO2 and SaO2 were significantly decreased from BL at each altitude (P<0.001, P<0.016 and P<0.013, respectively). No significant differences were found for pH at any location compared to BL (P>0.05) due to reductions in arterial [HCO3−] (P<0.043). No significant differences were found in baseline PCAv between locations (P>0.05) or for mean or peak NVC responses (P>0.085 and P>0.08 respectively).As expected, incremental ascent to HA induced a state of hypoxic hypocapnia, as demonstrated by significant reductions in PaO2, SaO2 and PaCO2, whereas arterial pH was maintained via reductions in [HCO3−]. Our data suggests that NVC remains remarkably intact during incremental ascent to HA in healthy acclimatized individuals. Despite the array of superimposed stressors associated with ascent to HA, CBF and NVC regulation may be a unique function of arterial pH maintenance.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Neurovascular coupling (NVC) is the temporal link between neuronal metabolic activity and regional cerebral blood flow (CBF), supporting adequate delivery of nutrients. Exposure to high altitude (HA) imposes several stressors, including hypoxia and hypocapnia, which modulate cerebrovascular tone in an antagonistic fashion. Whether these contrasting stressors and subsequent adaptations affect NVC during incremental ascent to HA is unclear. The aim of this study was to assess whether incremental ascent to HA influences the NVC response. Given that CBF is sensitive to changes in arterial blood gasses, in particular PaCO2, we hypothesized that the vasoconstrictive effect of hypocapnia during ascent would decrease the NVC response. 10 healthy study participants (21.7 ± 1.3 years, 23.57 ± 2.00 kg/m2, mean ± SD) were recruited as part of a research expedition to HA in the Nepal Himalaya. Resting posterior cerebral artery velocity (PCAv), arterial blood gasses (PaO2, SaO2, PaCO2, [HCO3-], base excess and arterial blood pH) and NVC response of the PCA were measured at four pre-determined locations: Calgary/Kathmandu (1045/1400 m, control), Namche (3440 m), Deboche (3820 m) and Pheriche (4240 m). PCAv was measured using transcranial Doppler ultrasound. Arterial blood draws were taken from the radial artery and analyzed using a portable blood gas/electrolyte analyzer. NVC was determined in response to visual stimulation (VS; Strobe light; 6 Hz; 30 s on/off × 3 trials). The NVC response was averaged across three VS trials at each location. PaO2, SaO2, and PaCO2 were each significantly decreased at 3440, 3820, and 4240 m. No significant differences were found for pH at HA (P > 0.05) due to significant reductions in [HCO3-] (P < 0.043). As expected, incremental ascent to HA induced a state of hypoxic hypocapnia, whereas normal arterial pH was maintained due to renal compensation. NVC was quantified as the delta (Δ) PCAv from baseline for mean PCAv, peak PCAv and total area under the curve (ΔPCAv tAUC) during VS. No significant differences were found for Δmean, Δpeak or ΔPCAv tAUC between locations (P > 0.05). NVC remains remarkably intact during incremental ascent to HA in healthy acclimatized individuals. Despite the array of superimposed stressors associated with ascent to HA, CBF and NVC regulation may be preserved coincident with arterial pH maintenance during acclimatization.

Swallow and breathing are highly coordinated behaviors reliant on shared anatomical space and neural pathways. Incremental ascent to high altitudes results in hypoxia/hypocapnic conditions altering respiratory drive, however it is not known whether these changes also alter swallow. We examined the effect of incremental ascent (1045 m, 3440 m and 4371 m) on swallow motor pattern and swallow-breathing coordination in seven healthy adults. Submental surface electromyograms (sEMG) and spirometry were used to evaluate swallow triggered by saliva and water infusion. Swallow-breathing phase preference was different between swallows initiated by saliva versus water. With ascent, saliva swallows changed to a dominate pattern of occurrence during the transition from inspiration to expiration. Additionally, water swallows demonstrated a significant decrease in submental sEMG duration and a shift in submental activity to earlier in the apnea period, especially at 4371 m. Our results suggest that there are changes in swallow-breathing coordination and swallow production that likely increase airway protection with incremental ascent to high altitude. The adaptive changes in swallow were likely due to the exposure to hypoxia and hypocapnia, along with airway irritation.

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