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Cluster Headache: Pulse Rate Changes Evoked by Hyperoxia and Hypoxia
Author(s) -
Shen Jie Ming,
Schaanning Jan
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
headache: the journal of head and face pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.14
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1526-4610
pISSN - 0017-8748
DOI - 10.1111/j.1526-4610.1994.hed3402079.x
Subject(s) - hyperoxia , hypoxia (environmental) , pulse (music) , anesthesia , medicine , neuroscience , psychology , chemistry , oxygen , computer science , lung , telecommunications , organic chemistry , detector
SYNOPSIS To test the influence of arterial O 2 saturation (SaO 2 ) on heart rate in cluster headache, changes in pulse rate induced by hyperoxia and hypoxia were monitored in 11 cluster headache patients (6 during cluster period, and 5 during remission). The results were compared with those obtained in 11 age and sex matched healthy individuals. The subjects were administered 5 min each of 100% O 2 and 12% O 2 in nitrogen in sequence. The aim of the latter procedure was to reduce SaO 2 to approximately 80%. Pulse rate wasrecorded every minute from a finger pulse oximeter during the whole procedure. Cluster headache patients, in particular during the bout, had a slightly lower basal pulse rate than controls (P>0.5, Student's t‐test).This tendency was maintained throughout the test. Hyperoxia and hypoxia resulted in a marked, significant decrease and increase,respectively, in pulse rate from baseline values within each group. However, the difference between groups was not significant at anystage. Cluster headache patients therefore seem to have the same heart rate response to changes in SaO 2 as healthy individuals. Themarked heart rate changes which sometimes accompany cluster headache are unlikely to be caused by SaO 2 changes.