Exposure to 16 h of normobaric hypoxia induces ionic edema in the healthy brain.

ABSTRACT: Following prolonged exposure to hypoxic conditions, for example, due to ascent to high altitude, stroke, or traumatic brain injury, cerebral edema can develop. The exact nature and genesis of hypoxia-induced edema in healthy individuals remain unresolved. We examined the effects of prolonged, normobaric hypoxia, induced by 16 h of exposure to simulated high altitude, on healthy brains using proton, dynamic contrast enhanced, and sodium MRI. This dual approach allowed us to directly measure key factors in the development of hypoxia-induced brain edema: (1) Sodium signals as a surrogate of the distribution of electrolytes within the cerebral tissue and (2) K^trans as a marker of blood-brain-barrier integrity. The measurements point toward an accumulation of sodium ions in extra- bu

SUBMITTER: Biller A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8514510 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature