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Upper airway dynamics 

UA-sag-OSA-with-labels.jpgA recent interest of the Darquenne laboratory is the study of the dynamics of the upper airway during breathing combining MR imaging of the upper airway with simultaneous flow measurements and EEG monitoring. This combined approach is currently being used to characterize upper airway dynamics during wakefulness and sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Preliminary data showed that change in upper airway caliber during tidal breathing are greater in subjects with OSA than in healthy controls not only during sleep but also in wakefulness. These studies are performed in collaboration with colleagues at the UCSD Sleep Research Laboratory of which Chantal Darquenne is also a member.

A separate study focusing on imaging the change in the glottic area during tidal breathing in awake healthy subjects has shown two types of glottal time-variations: a "static" behavior with almost constant glottal area during breathing and a "dynamic" behavior where the glottal area during inspiration could be up to 50% higher than during expiration.

Experimental approaches include:

  • 1.5T MR scanner
  • MR-compatible EEG measurements

Relevant publications:

  • Darquenne, C., C.B. Hicks and A. Malhotra. The Ongoing Need for Good Physiological Investigation: Obstructive Sleep Apnea in HIV Patients as a Paradigm. J. Appl. Physiol., 118:244-246, 2015 (doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00656.2014, PMID: 25150224).
  • O. Boiron, A. Scheinherr, A.R. Elliott, L. Bailly, R.J. Theilmann and C. Darquenne. Dynamics of the glottis during breathing. J. Aerosol Med. Pulm. Drug Delivery, 28:A39, 2015 (Abstract).
  • Darquenne, C., A.R. Elliott, B. Sibille, E.T. Smales, P.N. DeYoung, R.J. Theilmann and A. Malhotra. Upper airway dynamic imaging during tidal breathing in awake and asleep subjects with obstructive sleep apnea and healthy controls. Physiological Reports, 6:e13711 (pp 1-9), 2018 ( doi: 10.14814/phy2.13711).

A full list of publications can be found on Chantal Darquenne's UCSD profile page