Activation of the vestibular system changes ventilation in humans. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether aging alters the vestibulorespiratory reflex in humans. Because aging attenuates the vestibulosympathetic reflex, it was hypothesized that aging would attenuate the vestibulorespiratory reflex. Changes in ventilation during engagement of the semicircular canals and/or the otolith organs were measured in fourteen young (26 ± 1 years) and twelve older subjects (66 ± 1 years). In young subjects, natural engagement of the semicircular canals and the otolith organs by head rotation increased breathing frequency during dynamic upright pitch at 0.25 Hz (15 cycles min−1) and 0.5 Hz (30 cycles min−1) (Δ2 ± 1 and Δ4 ± 1 breaths min−1, respectively; P < 0.05) and during dynamic upright roll (Δ2 ± 1 and Δ4 ± 1, respectively; P < 0.05). In older subjects, the only significant changes in breathing frequency occurred during dynamic pitch and roll at 0.5 Hz (Δ2 ± 1 and Δ2 ± 1 for pitch and roll, respectively). Stimulation of the horizontal semicircular canals by yaw rotation increased minute ventilation in young but not older subjects. Selective engagement of the otolith organs during static head-down rotation did not alter breathing frequency in either the young or older subjects. The results of this study indicate that the vestibulorespiratory reflex is attenuated in older humans, with greater vestibular stimulation needed to activate the reflex.
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机译：前庭系统的激活改变了人类的通气。本研究的目的是研究衰老是否会改变人类的前庭呼吸反射。由于衰老会减弱前庭交感神经反射，因此假设衰老会减弱前庭呼吸反射。在十四名年轻（26±1岁）和十二名年龄较大（66±1岁）的受试者中测量了半圆形管和/或耳石器官接合期间的通气变化。在年轻受试者中，通过头部旋转使半规管和耳石器官自然接合，从而在动态直立俯仰时以0.25 Hz（15个周期min -1 ）和0.5 Hz（30个周期min -1 ）（分别为Δ2±1和Δ4±1呼吸min -1 ； P <0.05）和动态直立侧倾时（分别为Δ2±1和Δ4±1； P <0.05）。在老年受试者中，呼吸频率的唯一显着变化发生在动态俯仰和侧倾为0.5 Hz时（俯仰和侧倾分别为Δ2±1和Δ2±1）。偏航旋转对水平半圆形管的刺激增加了年轻但没有老年受试者的分钟通气量。在年轻的或年长的受试者中，在静态的头向下旋转过程中耳石器官的选择性参与都不会改变呼吸频率。这项研究的结果表明，老年人的前庭呼吸反射减弱，需要更大的前庭刺激来激活反射。
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