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Network oscillatory dynamics accompany cerebral bioenergetic defence in hypoxia

Bailey DM, Stacey BS, Ma Y, Washio T, Tsukamoto H, Owens TS, Calverley TA, Fall L et al.

Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, 2026

Abstract

A network physiology framework investigated how coordinated interactions among multiple organ systems collectively support the preservation of cerebral bioenergetic function and better distinguish adaptive from maladaptive responses to hypoxia. Twelve healthy males were passively exposed to 6 h of normoxia (21% O2) and hypoxia (12% O2) in a randomised, single-blind, crossover design. Venous blood was assayed for oxidative-nitrosative stress (OXNOS, spectroscopy/chemiluminescence) and neurovascular unit (hs-ELISA) biomarkers. Global cerebral delivery of O2 and glucose were determined by duplex ultrasound. Clinical acute mountain sickness (AMS+) was diagnosed in five participants. Cerebral substrate delivery was well maintained in both hypoxia and AMS+ (p p < 0.05 vs normoxia and AMS-). Collectively, these findings suggest that AMS, while characterised by debilitating symptomatology, may reflect a neuroprotective adaptive as opposed to pathologically maladaptive phenotype.

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