Respiratory and heart rate dynamics during peripheral chemoreceptor deactivation compared to targeted sympathetic and sympathetic/parasympathetic (co-)activation.

Background: The importance of peripheral chemoreceptors for cardiorespiratory neural control is known for decades. Pure oxygen inhalation deactivates chemoreceptors and increases parasympathetic outflow. However, the relationship between autonomic nervous system (ANS) activation and resulting respiratory as well as heart rate (HR) dynamics is still not fully understood.