Influence of age on the 'nasal cycle'

The nasal cycle is classicially defined as a side-to-side fluctuation in nasal engorgement and airflow, with period lengths ranging from approximately 1 to 5 hours. This cycle, as well as its variants (e.g., cyclic changes on one side of the nose only), is produced by alterations in autonomic tone of the nasal vasculature and reportedly correlates with a number of ultradian rhythms, including asymmetries in left:right cerebral electroencephalographic (EEG) activity and differential performance on visual/spatial psychological tasks. Since the pacemaker for the nasal cycle is believed to lie within the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, and this nucleus evidences degeneration in later life, we sought to determine whether the nasal cycle or its variants changes with age. To achieve this end, we used a liquid crystal thermography exhalation monitor to measure relative airflow of the two nasal chambers at 15-minute intervals for 6 hours in 60 people representing four age categories: 18 to 29 years (n=12); 30 to 49 years (n=15); 50 to 69 years (n=13); and 70 to 85 years (n=20). Overall, the proportion of subjects exhibiting the alternating rhythmicity associated with the classic nasal cycle decreased with age. No association was present between nasal cycle parameters and scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The results suggest that the classic nasal cycle may be a marker for age-related central nervous system changes.