Perioperative assessment of patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Research in our group revolves around perioperative assessment of patients with obstructive sleep apnea, with focus on pathophysiological mechanisms behind intermittent hypoxia and drugs used in anesthesia.

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have repeated episodes with hypoxia during sleep leading to hypertension and cardiovascular morbidities. Among patients at risk for complications after surgery, OSA has been identified as one of the most important risk factors.

The overall aim with this translational project is to describe respiratory control in OSA from bed to bench in relation to effects of anesthetic drugs, and to evaluate the effect of continuous positive airway pressure treatment and postoperative risk-assessment and outcome in these high-risk patients. We will use a combination of epidemiology, advanced physiological monitoring of patients combined with modern molecular and imaging techniques.

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Group members

Malin Jonsson Fagerlund MD, PhD, Docent

Eva Christensson MD, doctoral student

Åse Danielson MD, doctoral student

Research support

Selected publications

The human carotid body releases acetylcholine, ATP and cytokines during hypoxia.
Kåhlin J, Mkrtchian S, Ebberyd A, Hammarstedt-Nordenvall L, Nordlander B, Yoshitake T, et al
Exp. Physiol. 2014 Aug;99(8):1089-98

Reduced efficacy of the intravenous anesthetic agent AZD3043 at GABA(A) receptors with β2 (N289M) and β3 (N290M) point-mutations.
Jonsson Fagerlund M, Sjödin J, Dabrowski MA, Krupp J
Eur. J. Pharmacol. 2012 Nov;694(1-3):13-9

The human carotid body transcriptome with focus on oxygen sensing and inflammation--a comparative analysis.
Mkrtchian S, Kåhlin J, Ebberyd A, Gonzalez C, Sanchez D, Balbir A, et al
J. Physiol. (Lond.) 2012 Aug;590(16):3807-19

Prolonged attenuation of acetylcholine-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 following sevoflurane exposure.
Wiklund A, Gustavsson D, Ebberyd A, Sundman E, Schulte G, Jonsson Fagerlund M, et al
Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2012 May;56(5):608-15

Resolving postoperative neuroinflammation and cognitive decline.
Terrando N, Eriksson LI, Ryu JK, Yang T, Monaco C, Feldmann M, et al
Ann. Neurol. 2011 Dec;70(6):986-995

The human carotid body: expression of oxygen sensing and signaling genes of relevance for anesthesia.
Fagerlund MJ, Kåhlin J, Ebberyd A, Schulte G, Mkrtchian S, Eriksson LI
Anesthesiology 2010 Dec;113(6):1270-9

Presence of nicotinic, purinergic and dopaminergic receptors and the TASK-1 K+-channel in the mouse carotid body.
Kåhlin J, Eriksson LI, Ebberyd A, Fagerlund MJ
Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2010 Jul;172(3):122-8

Pharmacological characteristics of the inhibition of nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents at human adult muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.
Jonsson Fagerlund M, Dabrowski M, Eriksson LI
Anesthesiology 2009 Jun;110(6):1244-52

Pronounced depression by propofol on carotid body response to CO2 and K+-induced carotid body activation.
Akada S, Fagerlund M, Lindahl S, Sakamoto A, Prabhakar N, Eriksson L
Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2008 Feb;160(3):284-8

Distinct pharmacologic properties of neuromuscular blocking agents on human neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: a possible explanation for the train-of-four fade.
Jonsson M, Gurley D, Dabrowski M, Larsson O, Johnson E, Eriksson L
Anesthesiology 2006 Sep;105(3):521-33

Activation and inhibition of human muscular and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by succinylcholine.
Jonsson M, Dabrowski M, Gurley D, Larsson O, Johnson E, Fredholm B, et al
Anesthesiology 2006 Apr;104(4):724-33

Contact us

Malin Jonsson Fagerlund

Senior lecturer/senior physician
MJ
Content reviewer:
Linda Nilsson
20-10-2022