Spinal cord injury is associated with enhanced peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity

Abstract

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is prevalent in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI), but the exact mechanism is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether peripheral chemoreceptors activity is enhanced in individuals with chronic SCI compared to abled-bodied control subjects using CO2 and O2 chemical tests. In protocol (1) 30 subjects (8 cervical [cSCI], 7 thoracic [tSCI] and 15 able-bodied [AB]) were studied to determine the ventilatory response to hyperoxia during wakefulness in the supine position. In protocol (2) 24 subjects (6 cSCI, 6 tSCI, and 12 AB subjects) were studied to determine the ventilatory response to a single breath of CO2 (SBCO2). The chemoreflex response to SBCO2 was calculated as ∆VE/∆CO2 (L/min/mmHg). The ventilatory response to hyperoxia was defined as the % change in VT following acute hyperoxia compared to preceding baseline. During hyperoxia SCI subjects had a significant decrease in VT and VE (63.4 ± 21.7% and 63.1 ± 23.0% baseline, respectively, P < 0.05) compared to AB (VT: 87.1 ± 14.3% and VE: 91.38 ± 15.1% baseline, respectively, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between cSCI and tSCI in the VT or VE during hyperoxia (P = NS). There was no significant correlation between AHI and VE% baseline (r = −0.28) in SCI and AB (n = 30). SCI participants had a greater ventilatory response to an SBCO2 than AB (0.78 ± 0.42 L/min/mmHg vs. 0.26 ± 0.10 L/min/mmHg, respectively, P < 0.05). Peripheral ventilatory chemoresponsiveness is elevated in individuals with chronic SCI compared to able-bodied individuals.