Abstract
Stimulation of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve can trigger a complex response known as the diving response (DR). Universally expressed in all animals, the DR is targeted to enable them to survive anoxic conditions. In the response, severe hypoxia or anoxia, complex multisystem and multilevel changes diminish oxygen consumption and activate endogenous protective mechanisms. The salient features of the DR are apnea, bradycardia, and peripheral vasoconstriction. Bradycardia decreases myocardial oxygen consumption, peripheral vasoconstriction limits both the blood supply and oxygen use by "nonvital" organs. Although the brain's blood supply remains stable, neurogenic mechanisms diminish brain activity in order to decrease brain metabolism. Along with the slowing of oxygen consumption, neurogenic neuroprotective mechanisms are activated to increase the brain's tolerance of hypoxia at system and cellular levels.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Trigeminocardiac Reflex |
| Editors | Tumul Chowdhury, Bernhard J. Schaller |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Pages | 207-224 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780128004210 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 1 2015 |
Keywords
- Anoxia
- Diving response
- Electroencephalogram (EEG)
- Fastigial nucleus
- Hypoxia
- Neurogenic neuroprotection
- Oxygen-conserving reflex
- Preconditioning
- Rostral ventrolateral medulla
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience(all)