Reducing venous sinus pressure via deep breathing

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of conscious deep breathing on intracranial venous sinus pressures (VSPs) in awake patients undergoing cerebral venography and venous manometry for suspected cerebral venous congestion (CVC).

Authors of this retrospective study conducted a chart review of adult patients who, between 2023 and 2025, had undergone cerebral venography and manometry for high clinical suspicion of CVC and had been instructed to engage in deep breathing after baseline VSP measurement at the torcular Herophili. Both the inspiratory and expiratory phases were standardized to 5 seconds in duration to achieve a rate of 6 breaths/minute. After 5 cycles, torcular pressure measurements were repeated. VSP changes before and after deep breathing were assessed for a fast or slow return to baseline. Statistically significant differences between pressure measurements before and after 5 deep breathing cycles as well as differences in blood pressure measurements before and after diagnostic cerebral venography and manometry were assessed using the paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

All 28 patients included in the study exhibited a reduction in torcular VSP after 5 deep breathing cycles, with a median pressure change of -2.5 (IQR -2.0, -4.0) mm Hg. The median torcular pressure decreased from 8.5 (IQR 5.75, 12) to 5 (2, 9) mm Hg, a change that was statistically significant (p = 3.5 × 10-6). The majority of patients (92.86%) returned to baseline pressures within 5 seconds of deep breathing cessation, whereas 7.14% showed a prolonged return to baseline (>15 seconds), resolving within 2 minutes.

As insights into the mechanisms and effects behind CVC grow, noninvasive therapies that improve venous outflow, such as deep breathing, may be impactful to patients, potentially delaying or even obviating the need for surgical treatments. Where surgery is needed, deep breathing may allow for tighter VSP control. Understanding VSPs may thus improve the medical and surgical management of patients with venopathic intracranial hypertension. More research is needed to understand these phenomena.