Marjorie Villien1, 2, Laurent Lamalle3, Irne Troprs3, Thomas Rupp4, Franois Estve1, 5, Alexandre Krainik, 16, Patrick Levy4, Jan Warnking1, 2, Samuel Vergs4
1U836, INSERM, Grenoble, France; 2Grenoble Institut of Neurosciences, Universit Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France; 3SFR1, Universit Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France; 4HP2 Laboratory (INSERM U 1042), Universit Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France; 5European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France; 6Department of NeuroRadiology and MRI, CHU Grenoble, Grenoble, France
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of altitude acclimatization on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebro-vascular reactivity to CO2 (CVR). Eleven healthy male subjects were investigated at sea level prior to and after 7 days at 4400m using pseudo-continuous ASL during a block-design inhalation paradigm to measure basal CBF and CVR. EtCO2 was significantly decreased post-altitude, while basal CBF increased in most subjects. CVR did not change significantly. Isocapnic CBF, obtained correcting for changes in basal capnia using measured CVR maps, was significantly increased in all subjects, by up to 40%, after 7 days at 4400m.