Cortical activity during hypoxic hyperventilation.

This study seeks to determine the pattern of electroencephalogram changes during stimulatory ventilatory responses to acute progressive hypoxia. Electroencephalograms were recorded in the 10-20 electrode system during progressive poikilocapnic hypoxic tests based on the rebreathing routine. Healthy subjects were used for he study. A major finding was that hypoxia decreased the power spectra of the alpha activity. The decrease was surprisingly rapid and greater at mild hypoxic desaturation when pulmonary ventilation was about to pick up than during the maximum hypoxic hyperventilation. The possible relation of hypoxic decline in brain bioactivity to the manifestation of hypoxic hyperventilation remains to be elucidated in further studies.