Fig. 2
Average corticospinal excitability pre- and post-acute intermittent hypoxia exposure. We evaluated changes in corticospinal excitability (CSE) pre- to post-acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) by measuring alterations in the maximum motor evoked potential amplitude (MEPmax), area under the recruitment curve, peak slope of the recruitment curve, and resting motor threshold (RMT; as a percent of the maximal stimulator output). (A) The average MEPmax significantly increased following AIH, indicating increased CSE. (B) The area under the recruitment curve, an index of net excitability from 90 to 140% of RMT, also significantly increased post-AIH. (C) There was no significant change in peak slope after AIH. (D) The RMT decreased after AIH but was not significantly different (p = 0.088). The bars represent standard error. Significance levels are denoted as ***p < 0.001, **p < 0.01, and *p < 0.05.
