Associations between awake-state cerebral hemodynamic activity and sleep quality: A longitudinal fNIRS study in young adults and implications for rehabilitation

Objectives: Poor sleep quality is a significant public health challenge, particularly among young adults, and can impede recovery and rehabilitation. However, there is a lack of objective, field-deployable neurophysiological markers for widespread …

BDNF relates to prefrontal cortex activity in the context of physical exercise

Exercise has been shown to support brain health, cognitive function, and increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). While BDNF is known to support the central nervous system through improved brain metabolism, vasculature, …

Blood flow restriction induces similar peripheral stress but greater central drive impairments than systemic hypoxia during repeated cycling sprints

Purpose Systemic hypoxia (SH) and blood flow restriction (BFR) are methods used to improve repeated sprint exercise ability. This study aimed to compare their respective impacts on neuromuscular fatigue etiology of the lower limbs during cycling …

Catching a yawn: A multimodal experimental protocol for investigating sleepiness under visual and auditory yawning stimuli featuring human and digital characters

This protocol describes a laboratory-based experimental method for investigating whether exposure to contagious yawning stimuli is associated with measurable changes in subjective and physiological markers of sleepiness. The protocol employs a …

Circadian-dependent neural mechanisms of lighting optimization in underground transit environments: Evidence from fNIRS network analysis

Underground metro cabins rely almost entirely on artificial lighting, which simultaneously provides visual input and circadian cues for passengers. Yet, neurophysiological evidence remains scarce on how time-of-day–specific illuminance and correlated …

Detection of regional disparity in cerebrovascular reactivity using a custom whole brain functional near-infrared spectroscopy based mapping system: A prospective observational study

There is limited literature on the ability of high-frequency cerebral functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) systems to characterize cerebral autoregulation/cerebrovascular reactivity (CA/CVR) regional disparity than other low-frequency …

Effect of repeated hot water immersion on cognitive performance, cerebrovascular function, sleep and biomarkers of neurodegeneration in older adults

Ageing is associated with cognitive decline and increased risk of developing neurodegenerative disease. Repeated passive heating, using hot water immersion (HWI), may improve cognitive performance via improved cerebral oxygenation, but this is yet to …

Effect of Roxadustat on Cardiometabolism in Healthy Individuals (ROXACardioMeta): Protocol for a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled and Randomised Cross-Over Trial

Hypoxia activates hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), which regulate genes involved in erythropoiesis, angiogenesis, and metabolism. HIF stability is controlled by oxygen-dependent HIF prolyl 4-hydroxylases (HIF-P4Hs). Pharmacological HIF-P4H …

Effects of 6-day ischaemic preconditioning on adaptations to an altitude training camp in cross-country skiers

To determine whether ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) administered prior to an altitude training camp could enhance aerobic fitness and endurance performance in athletes. In a randomized controlled trial, 19 competitive (Tiers 3–5) cross-country (XC) …

Effects of anthropomorphic features of generative artificial intelligence tools on learners’ role perceptions: evidence from interview and fNIRS

While generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly being designed for humanlike roles to facilitate learning, the extent to which learners perceive GenAI as a real human remains unclear. This study investigated the impact of …

Exercise Intensity but Not Cadence Affects the Dynamics of Muscle Oxygenation and Pulmonary Oxygen Uptake at the Onset of Exercise in Trained Cyclists

Purpose: This study examined how exercise intensity and pedaling cadence influence the on-transient kinetics of pulmonary oxygen uptake ( V˙O2) and muscle oxygenation in trained cyclists. Specifically, we evaluated responses during transitions to …

Face perception and impact of face masks at 6 months post-term age in preterm and term infants (The BabyFace Study)

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed face-to-face interactions, as face masks cover facial zones and affect face perception. Preterm birth is associated with altered face perception, which is important in socio-cognitive development. Use of face …

Impaired peripheral oxygen delivery during submaximal exercise in adults with long textlessspan style="font-variant:small-caps;"textgreaterCOVIDtextless/spantextgreater

Long COVID (LC) is a multisystem condition that is linked to distinct pathologies including viral persistence, immunological dysfunction, endothelial damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction. To date, limited research has assessed peripheral tissue …

Inter-effort hypoxia recovery during high-intensity intermittent exercise enhances oxygen uptake at the onset of efforts while maintaining exercise tolerance

Exercise training in hypoxia enhances physiological adaptations improving exercise performance. However, acute hypoxia generally reduces high-intensity exercise tolerance, limiting its application in sports training. Here, we investigated whether …

Lower-limb physical function is associated with executive function in frail older adults

Metabolic, V̇O$_textrm2$ kinetics, and muscle oxygenation responses at and above maximal lactate steady state in trained male rowers

This study aimed to compare physiological responses during rowing ergometer exercise at the maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) and 5% above the MLSS (MLSS+5%). Blood lactate concentration (BLC), oxygen uptake (V̇O2) kinetics, heart rate (HR), and …

Orthostatic hypotension without co-existent supine hypertension is associated with impaired cerebral oxygenation: findings from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA)

Hypertension and orthostatic hypotension (OH) are common in older age, with both conditions recognized as risk factors for cardiovascular disease and end organ damage. Cerebral hypoperfusion is postulated to play a role in these adverse effects. For …

Peak oxygen consumption is positively associated with estimates of oxygen extraction and microvascular blood volume in veterans with chronic kidney disease

Peak oxygen consumption (V_ O2peak) is reduced in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although cardiovascular and skeletal muscle factors are implicated in the declines of V_ O2peak, few studies have evaluated muscle oxygenation responses …

Physiological responses of individuals with idiopathic chilblains during cold exposure and rewarming: a nonrandomized clinical trial

Idiopathic chilblains (IC) is a localized inflammatory disorder affecting acral areas, with unclear pathophysiology and pathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the vasomotor, autonomic, and inflammatory responses of adults with (HIC þ ) and …

Prefrontal hemodynamic responses during video learning across academic disciplines: an fNIRS study

Different academic disciplines involve different types of knowledge and learning processes, which may be reflected in variation in prefrontal hemodynamic responses during learning. To simulate real learning scenarios, we used multidisciplinary …