Acute intermittent hypoxia induced neural plasticity in respiratory motor control.

Abstract

Respiratory neural networks can adapt to rapid environmental change or be altered over the long term by various inputs. The mechanisms that underlie the plasticity necessary for adaptive changes in breathing remain unclear. Acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH)-induced respiratory long-term facilitation (LTF) is one of the most extensively studied types of respiratory plasticity. Acute intermittent hypoxia-induced LTF is present in several respiratory motor outputs, innervating both pump muscles (i.e. diaphragm) and valve muscles (i.e. tongue, pharynx and larynx). Long-term facilitation is present in various species, including humans, and the expression of LTF is influenced by gender, age and gen..