Post by Casper Schwartz Riedel

Elevated central venous pressure drives intracranial pressure surges in obstructive sleep apnea We are excited to share our latest research, just published in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism. This work was a collaborative effort with my incredible co-authors and team members: Benedikt Maximilian Linz, Kezia Jerltorp, Sarah Dalgas Nissen, Julie Norup, Dominik Linz, Thomas Jespersen and Poul Jennum from Department of Biomedical Sciences and Rigshospitalet. A significant thank you also goes to Hjerteforeningen, Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Danish Cardiovascular Academy for their vital funding of my postdoctoral fellowship, enabling this research. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is well-known to increase the risk of cerebrovascular disease, but the underlying mechanisms have remained poorly understood. In our study, we used an anesthetized porcine model to investigate the acute intracranial dynamics during simulated obstructive events. What we found: Our results demonstrate that acute intracranial pressure (ICP) surges during obstructive events are primarily driven by a venous-mechanical mechanism, specifically, marked elevations in central venous pressure (CVP). We also show that changes in blood gases modulate this pressure response, adding further complexity to the hemodynamic picture. These findings provide an important physiological framework for understanding why OSA carries an elevated cerebrovascular risk, and may ultimately inform future strategies for prevention and treatment. 🔗 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e5nqWuyr #SleepApnea #Neuroscience #CerebrovascularDisease #Hemodynamics #Physiology