American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology
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Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. · Dec 2003
Directionality of coupling of physiological subsystems: age-related changes of cardiorespiratory interaction during different sleep stages in babies.
Activity of many physiological subsystems has a well-expressed rhythmic character. Often, a dependency between physiological rhythms is established due to interaction between the corresponding subsystems. Traditional methods of data analysis allow one to quantify the strength of interaction but not the causal interrelation that is indispensable for understanding the mechanisms of interaction. ⋯ The observed dependencies are not related to sleep stage, suggesting that the coupling direction is determined by system-inherent dynamical processes, rather than by functional modulations. The directional analysis may be applied to other interacting narrow band oscillatory systems, e.g., in the central nervous system. Thus it is an important step forward in revealing and understanding causal mechanisms of interactions.
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Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. · Dec 2003
Mu-opioid receptor agonist effects on medullary respiratory neurons in the cat: evidence for involvement in certain types of ventilatory disturbances.
Mu-opioid receptor agonists depress tidal volume, decrease chest wall compliance, and increase upper airway resistance. In this study, potential neuronal sites and mechanisms responsible for the disturbances were investigated, dose-response relationships were established, and it was determined whether general anesthesia plays a role. Effects of micro-opioid agonists on membrane properties and discharges of respiratory bulbospinal, vagal, and propriobulbar neurons and phrenic nerve activity were measured in pentobarbital-anesthetized and unanesthetized decerebrate cats. ⋯ Such effects on three types of vagal motoneurons might explain tonic vocal fold closure and pharyngeal obstruction of airflow. Measurements of membrane potential and input resistance suggest the effects on bulbospinal Aug-E neurons and vagal motoneurons are mediated presynaptically. Opioid effects on the respiratory neurons were similar in anesthetized and decerebrate preparations.