Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Obstructive apnea during sleep is associated with peripheral vasoconstriction.

Virginia A Imadojemu1, Kevin Gleeson, Kristen S Gray

  • 1Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA. vimadojemu@psu.edu

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
|January 10, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Delayed Cardiovascular Response to Acute Hypotension in Heart Failure Patients Compared to Healthy Adults.

International journal of vascular medicine·2026
Same author

A Payer Solution to Improve Access to Quality Behavioral Health Care.

NEJM catalyst innovations in care delivery·2026
Same author

Autonomic control of cardiac rhythm at the onset of muscle metaboreflex activation following exercise in healthy young and old adults.

Physiological reports·2026
Same author

Acute cocoa ingestion decreases spontaneous cardiac baroreflex sensitivity in healthy older adults.

American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology·2026
Same author

The effects of limb suction during arterial occlusion on arterial baroreflex in humans.

American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology·2025
Same author

The role of peripheral venous distension reflex in regulating hemodynamics: mini review.

Autonomic neuroscience : basic & clinical·2024

Obstructive sleep apnea causes temporary blood pressure spikes due to sympathetic nervous system activation and limb vasoconstriction, potentially linked to hypoxia.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is linked to significant transient blood pressure increases.
  • The precise physiological mechanisms driving this pressor response remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms of blood pressure elevation during and after obstructive apneas in OSA patients.
  • To assess the role of sympathetic nervous system activity and limb vascular resistance.

Main Methods:

  • Measured muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), arterial pressure (Psa), and limb blood velocity (MBV) during obstructive and voluntary apneas in OSA patients.
  • Calculated changes in limb vascular resistance.
  • Administered supplemental oxygen to assess its effect on sympathetic and vasoconstrictor responses.
Keywords:
NASA Discipline CardiopulmonaryNon-NASA Center

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Post-apnea, Psa significantly increased, preceded by a rise in MSNA during sleep.
  • Limb blood flow (MBV) remained unchanged, while limb vascular resistance increased by 29%.
  • Supplemental oxygen attenuated MSNA and vasoconstrictor responses.

Conclusions:

  • Obstructive apneas in OSA patients trigger transient limb vasoconstriction.
  • This response is mediated, at least partly, by the sympathetic nervous system.
  • Hypoxia may play a role in this sympathetic-mediated vasoconstriction.