scholarly journals Pressure-volume behaviour of the rat upper airway: effects of tongue muscle activation

2003 ◽  
Vol 548 (2) ◽  
pp. 563-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
E F. Bailey ◽  
R. F Fregosi
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Upper Airway ◽  
Tongue Muscle

Anatomic consequences of intrinsic tongue muscle activation

2006 ◽  
Vol 101 (5) ◽  
pp. 1377-1385 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Fiona Bailey ◽  
Yu-Hsien Huang ◽  
Ralph F. Fregosi
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Upper Airway ◽  
Pressure Source ◽  
Airway Patency ◽  
Tongue Muscle ◽  
Airway Pressures ◽  
Tongue Muscles ◽  
Spontaneously Breathing

We recently showed respiratory-related coactivation of both extrinsic and intrinsic tongue muscles in the rat. Here, we test the hypothesis that intrinsic tongue muscles contribute importantly to changes in velopharyngeal airway volume. Spontaneously breathing anesthetized rats were placed in a MRI scanner. A catheter was placed in the hypopharynx and connected to a pressure source. Axial and sagittal images of the velopharyngeal airway were obtained, and the volume of each image was computed at airway pressures ranging from +5.0 to −5.0 cmH2O. We obtained images in the hypoglossal intact animal (i.e., coactivation of intrinsic and extrinsic tongue muscles) and after selective denervation of the intrinsic tongue muscles, with and without electrical stimulation. Denervation of the intrinsic tongue muscles reduced velopharyngeal airway volume at atmospheric and positive airway pressures. Electrical stimulation of the intact hypoglossal nerve increased velopharyngeal airway volume; however, when stimulation was repeated after selective denervation of the intrinsic tongue muscles, the increase in velopharyngeal airway volume was significantly attenuated. These findings support our working hypothesis that intrinsic tongue muscles play a critical role in modulating upper airway patency.

Upper airway muscle responsiveness to rising Pco 2 during NREM sleep

2000 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 1275-1282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giora Pillar ◽  
Atul Malhotra ◽  
Robert B. Fogel ◽  
Josee Beauregard ◽  
David I. Slamowitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Slow Wave Sleep ◽  
Minute Ventilation ◽  
Upper Airway ◽  
Nrem Sleep ◽  
Dilator Muscle ◽  
Pharyngeal Muscles ◽  
Stage 2 Sleep ◽  
Significant Change ◽  
End Tidal

Although pharyngeal muscles respond robustly to increasing Pco 2 during wakefulness, the effect of hypercapnia on upper airway muscle activation during sleep has not been carefully assessed. This may be important, because it has been hypothesized that CO2-driven muscle activation may importantly stabilize the upper airway during stages 3 and 4 sleep. To test this hypothesis, we measured ventilation, airway resistance, genioglossus (GG) and tensor palatini (TP) electromyogram (EMG), plus end-tidal Pco 2(Pet CO2 ) in 18 subjects during wakefulness, stage 2, and slow-wave sleep (SWS). Responses of ventilation and muscle EMG to administered CO2(Pet CO2 = 6 Torr above the eupneic level) were also assessed during SWS ( n = 9) or stage 2 sleep ( n = 7). Pet CO2 increased spontaneously by 0.8 ± 0.1 Torr from stage 2 to SWS (from 43.3 ± 0.6 to 44.1 ± 0.5 Torr, P < 0.05), with no significant change in GG or TP EMG. Despite a significant increase in minute ventilation with induced hypercapnia (from 8.3 ± 0.1 to 11.9 ± 0.3 l/min in stage 2 and 8.6 ± 0.4 to 12.7 ± 0.4 l/min in SWS, P < 0.05 for both), there was no significant change in the GG or TP EMG. These data indicate that supraphysiological levels of Pet CO2 (50.4 ± 1.6 Torr in stage 2, and 50.4 ± 0.9 Torr in SWS) are not a major independent stimulus to pharyngeal dilator muscle activation during either SWS or stage 2 sleep. Thus hypercapnia-induced pharyngeal dilator muscle activation alone is unlikely to explain the paucity of sleep-disordered breathing events during SWS.

Mechanical effects of pharyngeal constrictor activation on pharyngeal airway function

1999 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 411-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel T. Kuna ◽  
Christi R. Vanoye
Keyword(s):  
Axial Force ◽  
Airway Pressure ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Upper Airway ◽  
Stimulation Frequency ◽  
Airway Patency ◽  
Pharyngeal Airway ◽  
Mechanical Effects ◽  
Airway Function ◽  
Pharyngeal Branch

The mechanical effects of pharyngeal constrictor (PC) muscle activation on pharyngeal airway function were determined in 20 decerebrate, tracheotomized cats. In 10 cats, a high-compliance balloon attached to a pressure transducer was partially inflated to just occlude the pharyngeal airway. During progressive hyperoxic hypercapnia, changes in pharyngeal balloon pressure were directly related to phasic expiratory hyopharyngeus (middle PC) activity. In two separate protocols in 10 additional cats, the following measurements were obtained with and without bilateral electrical stimulation (0.2-ms duration, threshold voltage) of the distal cut end of the vagus nerve’s pharyngeal branch supplying PC motor output: 1) pressure-volume relationships in an isolated, sealed upper airway at a stimulation frequency of 30 Hz and 2) rostrally directed axial force over a stimulation frequency range of 0–40 Hz. Airway compliance determined from the pressure-volume relationships decreased with PC stimulation at and below resting airway volume. Compared with the unstimulated condition, PC stimulation increased airway pressure at airway volumes at and above resting volume. This constrictor effect progressively diminished as airway volume was brought below resting volume. At relatively low airway volumes below resting volume, PC stimulation decreased airway pressure compared with that without stimulation. PC stimulation generated a rostrally directed axial force that was directly related to stimulation frequency. The results indicate that PC activation stiffens the pharyngeal airway, exerting both radial and axial effects. The radial effects are dependent on airway volume: constriction of the airway at relatively high airway volumes, and dilation of the airway at relatively low airway volumes. The results imply that, under certain conditions, PC muscle activation may promote pharyngeal airway patency.

Effect of upper airway negative pressure on proprioceptive afferents from the tongue

1999 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 1396-1401 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Brancatisano ◽  
P. Davis ◽  
T. van der Touw ◽  
J. R. Wheatley
Keyword(s):  
Hypoglossal Nerve ◽  
Upper Airway ◽  
Rapid Onset ◽  
Firing Frequency ◽  
Tongue Muscle ◽  
Airway Mucosa ◽  
Afferent Fibers ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Proprioceptive Afferents ◽  
Passive Stretch

We examined whether receptors in the tongue muscle respond to negative upper airway pressure (NUAP). In six cats, one hypoglossal nerve was cut and its distal end was prepared for single-fiber recording. Twelve afferent fibers were selected for study on the basis of their sensitivity to passive stretch (PS) of the tongue. Fiber discharge frequency was measured during PS of the tongue and after the rapid onset of constant NUAP. During PS of 1–3 cm, firing frequency increased from 17 ± 7 to 40 ± 11 (SE) Hz ( P < 0.01). In addition, 8 of the 12 fibers responded to NUAP (−10 to −30 cmH2O), with firing frequency increasing from 23 ± 9 to 41 ± 9 Hz ( P < 0.001). In two fibers tested, the increase in firing frequency in response to NUAP was not altered by topical anesthesia (10% lignocaine) applied liberally to the entire upper airway mucosa. Our results demonstrate that afferent discharges from the hypoglossal nerve are elicited by 1) stretching of the tongue and 2) NUAP before and after upper airway anesthesia. We speculate that activation of proprioceptive mechanoreceptors in the cat’s tongue provides an additional pathway for the reflex activation of upper airway dilator muscles in response to NUAP, independent of superficially located mucosal mechanoreceptors.

Respiratory muscle responses to changes in chemoreceptor drive in infants

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 1041-1047 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. A. Carlo ◽  
J. M. DiFiore
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Infants ◽  
Respiratory Muscle ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Respiratory Muscles ◽  
Upper Airway ◽  
Obstructive Apnea ◽  
Surface Electrodes ◽  
Posterior Cricoarytenoid ◽  
Upper Airway Muscles ◽  
Muscle Responses

Upper airway muscles and the diaphragm may have different quantitative responses to chemoreceptor stimulation. To compare the respiratory muscle responses to changes in CO2, 10 ventilator-dependent preterm infants (gestational age 28 +/- 1 wk, postnatal age 40 +/- 6 days, weight 1.4 +/- 0.1 kg) were passively hyperventilated to apnea and subsequently hypoventilated. Electromyograms from the genioglossus, alae nasi, posterior cricoarytenoid, and diaphragm were recorded from surface electrodes. Apneic CO2 thresholds of all upper airway muscles (genioglossus 46.8 +/- 4.3 Torr, alae nasi 42.4 +/- 3.6 Torr, posterior cricoarytenoid 41.6 +/- 3.2 Torr) were higher than those of the diaphragm (38.8 +/- 2.6 Torr, all P less than 0.05). Above their CO2 threshold levels, responses of all upper airway muscles appeared proportional to those of the diaphragm. We conclude that nonproportional responses of the respiratory muscles to hypercapnia may be the result of differences in their CO2 threshold. These differences in CO2 threshold may cause imbalance in respiratory muscle activation with changes in chemical drive, leading to upper airway instability and obstructive apnea.

Modulation of the extrinsic tongue muscle activity in response to bronchopulmonary C-fiber activation following midcervical contusion in the rat

2020 ◽  
Vol 128 (5) ◽  
pp. 1130-1145
Author(s):  
Hsiao-Sen Chang ◽  
Kun-Ze Lee
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Cervical Spinal Cord ◽  
Upper Airway ◽  
Airway Patency ◽  
Tongue Muscle ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Burst Amplitude ◽  
C Fiber ◽  
Spinal Cord Contusion

Tongue muscle activity plays an important role in the regulation of upper airway patency. This study aimed to investigate the respiratory activity of the extrinsic tongue muscle in response to capsaicin-induced bronchopulmonary C-fiber activation following cervical spinal cord contusion. Midcervical spinal-contused animals exhibited a greater baseline preinspiratory burst amplitude of the extrinsic tongue muscle and were resistant to inhaled capsaicin-induced reduction of respiratory tongue muscle activity at the acute injured stage. However, inhalation of capsaicin caused a more severe attenuation of preinspiratory activity of the extrinsic tongue muscle at the chronic injured stage. These results suggest that the upper airway may be predisposed to collapse in response to bronchopulmonary C-fiber activation following chronic cervical spinal cord injury.

Control of respiratory activity of the genioglossus muscle in micrognathic infants

1986 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 1523-1533 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Roberts ◽  
W. R. Reed ◽  
O. P. Mathew ◽  
B. T. Thach
Keyword(s):  
Upper Airway ◽  
Esophageal Pressure ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Emg Activity ◽  
Nasal Breathing ◽  
Airway Patency ◽  
Tongue Muscle ◽  
Airway Occlusion ◽  
Pharyngeal Airway ◽  
Obstructive Sleep

The genioglossus (GG) muscle activity of four infants with micrognathia and obstructive sleep apnea was recorded to assess the role of this tongue muscle in upper airway maintenance. Respiratory air flow, esophageal pressure, and intramuscular GG electromyograms (EMG) were recorded during wakefulness and sleep. Both tonic and phasic inspiratory GG-EMG activity was recorded in each of the infants. On occasion, no phasic GG activity could be recorded; these silent periods were unassociated with respiratory embarrassment. GG activity increased during sigh breaths. GG activity also increased when the infants spontaneously changed from oral to nasal breathing and, in two infants, with neck flexion associated with complete upper airway obstruction, suggesting that GG-EMG activity is influenced by sudden changes in upper airway resistance. During sleep, the GG-EMG activity significantly increased with 5% CO2 breathing (P less than or equal to 0.001). With nasal airway occlusion during sleep, the GG-EMG activity increased with the first occluded breath and progressively increased during the subsequent occluded breaths, indicating mechanoreceptor and suggesting chemoreceptor modulation. During nasal occlusion trials, there was a progressive increase in phasic inspiratory activity of the GG-EMG that was greater than that of the diaphragm activity (as reflected by esophageal pressure excursions). When pharyngeal airway closure occurred during a nasal occlusion trial, the negative pressure at which the pharyngeal airway closed (upper airway closing pressure) correlated with the GG-EMG activity at the time of closure, suggesting that the GG muscle contributes to maintaining pharyngeal airway patency in the micrognathic infant.

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