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The effect of highly concentrated oxygen administration on cerebral activation levels and lateralization in visuospatial tasks

Integrative Physiological & Behavioral Science volume 39, pages 153–165 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

This study investigated what effect a 30% oxygen administration had on visuospatial cognitive performance and cerebral activation and lateralization using fMRI. Eight college students were selected as the subjects for this study. An oxygen dispenser that provided 21% and 30% oxygen at a constant rate of 8L/min was developed. In order to measure the performance level of visuospatial cognition, two psychological tests were also developed. The experiment consisted of two runs, one for a visuospatial cognition task with normal air (21% oxygen) and the other for a visuospatial cognition task with hyperoxic air (30% oxygen). Functional brain images were taken with a 3T MRI using the single-shot EPI method. The results of the visuospatial behavioral analysis reveal that accuracy rates were enhanced with 30% oxygen administration when compared to 21% oxygen. There were more activations observed at the bilateral occipital, parietal, and frontal lobes with 30% oxygen administration. However, decreased cerebrum lateralization was observed with 30% oxygen administration in the same regions compared with 21% oxygen administration. Thus, it is concluded that the positive effect on the visuospatial cognitive performance level by the highly concentrated oxygen administration resulted from an increase of cerebrum activation and a decrease of cerebrum lateralization.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering College of Medicine, Konkuk University, 322 Danwall-Dong, Chungju, 380-701, Chungbuk, South Korea

    Soon-Cheol Chung, Gye-Rae Tack & Ik-Hyeon Kim

  2. Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyunghee University, 1 Sochen-ri, Giheung-eup, Yongin, 449-701, Gyeonggi, South Korea

    Soo-Yeol Lee

  3. Department of Psychology, Chungnam National University, 220 Gung-dong, Yuseong-gu, 305-764, Daejeon, South Korea

    Jin-Hun Sohn

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  1. Soon-Cheol Chung
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  2. Gye-Rae Tack
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  3. Ik-Hyeon Kim
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  4. Soo-Yeol Lee
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  5. Jin-Hun Sohn
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Correspondence to Gye-Rae Tack.

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Chung, SC., Tack, GR., Kim, IH. et al. The effect of highly concentrated oxygen administration on cerebral activation levels and lateralization in visuospatial tasks. Integrative Physiological & Behavioral Science 39, 153–165 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02734436

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02734436

Key Words

  • oxygen administration
  • cerebral activation and lateralization
  • visuospatial task
  • fMRI