Fiziologiâ čeloveka
ISSN(Print): 0131-1646
Media registration certificate: ПИ № ФС 77 - 69311 от 14.04.2017
Founder: Russian Academy of Sciences, State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation - Institute of Medical and Biological Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Editor-in-Chief: Grigoriev Anatoly Ivanovich
Number of issues per year: 6
Indexation: RISC, list of Higher Attestation Commissions, CrossRef, White List (level 3)
The purpose of this journal is to promote the integration of theories, methods, and research in human physiology. The journal publishes original studies on brain function and its disturbances, including neural mechanisms subserving perception, learning, memory, emotion, and language. Human Physiology provides a forum for many physiological areas, such as respiration, circulation, the blood system, motor functions, and digestion, as well as sport and occupational physiology. All kinds of papers on environmental physiology, including adaptation to extreme (polar zone, desert) and new (space) external conditions, are encouraged. Each year, from one to three numbers of the journal are dedicated to the broad consideration of a selected problem (e.g., mechanisms of adaptation to natural factors or development of the brain functions of children). The editorial board is highly interested in the cooperation of scientists from all countries and accepts manuscripts submitted in English.
Current Issue



Vol 51, No 3 (2025)
Articles
Resting-state gamma-band activity at clinical high risk for schizophrenia: correlation with clinical measures and levels of GABA and glutamate in frontal lobes
Abstract
Gamma-band abnormalities are consistently reported in schizophrenia and attributed to disturbances of the excitation-inhibition balance in the brain. However, results in clinical high-risk groups are rare and quite inconsistent. The aim of the present study was to determine the characteristics of the resting-state gamma-band activity (range 30–45 Hz) in the clinical high-risk group (CHR, 110 patients) in comparison with schizophrenia patients (66 patients) and mentally healthy (62 subjects) male individuals. Correlation analysis with clinical characteristics were also conducted, and comparisons were made between patients who did or did not convert to psychosis during catamnestic follow-up. Correlations of gamma-band spectral power with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration and glutamine+glutamate index (GLX in frontal lobes were also analyzed. Statistically significant differences in gamma-band spectral power were revealed only between the CHR group and schizophrenia patients. In CHR patients GABA levels were decreased compared to healthy controls in the left frontal lobe, however there were no correlations between GABA and gamma-band spectral power. The results suggest some degree of “normality” or “compensation” of the processes of gamma-band activity generation (30–40 Hz) at clinical high risk of schizophrenia.



Spatial masking of the delayed sound motion: EEG and behavioral measures
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of simultaneous masking at different angular distances between stationary maskers and signals with delayed motion onset on the perceived location of signal trajectory endpoints and the strength of the global field power (GFP) in evoked responses in the electroencephalogram. Stimulus positions were manipulated through interaural intensity differences. Evoked responses to the signal's onset and offset were maximally suppressed when the masker position matched the signal’s starting and ending points, respectively. As the distance increased, the responses partially recovered, indicating a spatial release from masking. The maximum suppression of the motion onset response occurred when the lateral or central masker was located at the end of the movement trajectory. Despite complete or partial suppression of the GFP, the listeners were able to localize the test signals under masking conditions. However, the perceived signal trajectories shortened, and their perceived positions shifted away from the masker. The GFPs were more susceptible to energetic masking, while behavioral responses were more robust in recognizing motion, as they relied on the activity of broad neural networks involved in the integration of sensory information over a longer time period.



Slow negative potentials associated with preparation period of memory-guided saccades and antisaccades in healthy individuals and subjects at clinical-high risk for schizophrenia
Abstract
The concept of clinical-high risk (CHR) for schizophrenia implies the possibility of identifying a potential predisposition to future schizophrenia manifestation. An important goal of biological psychiatry is conducting research aimed at understanding the neurophysiological mechanisms of this condition. In this study, saccade characteristics of patients at CHR for schizophrenia (n = 15) and healthy participants (n = 15), as well as parameters of their slow negative potentials in the one-second interval preceding the signal to perform a saccade in a “memory-guided saccades/antisaccades” paradigm were analyzed. 12 participants from the CHR group also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for subsequent comparison with the control group selected from the laboratory database. Saccade latencies and error rates were higher in the CHR group. There were also found lateral differences in CHR, but not in the control group. However, no between-group differences were observed in studied electrophysiological and MRI parameters. The obtained results may be interpreted as indirect signs of impairments in executive control, interhemispheric asymmetry and connectivity in the CHR group, although further studies are required to determine the possibility of using slow negative potentials parameters as clinical markers.



The effective of the relaxation scenario in virtual reality technology for young people
Abstract
In order to study the effect of the relaxation scenario in virtual reality technology on the psychophysiological state, 20 young people without signs of mental and behavioral disorders were examined. Each participant completed a series of 5 trainings using the Kayak VR: Mirage app while wearing Pico 4 PRO virtual reality glasses. At the end of the training, a statistically significant decrease in the level of hopelessness (p = 0.035) and anxiety (p = 0.047) was found. Also, during the training, all participants in the study observed changes in the work of the autonomic nervous system, which were expressed in an increase in the peripheral temperature of the phalanx of the finger, an increase in the amplitude of the photoplethysmogram, as well as a decrease in the reflection index, stiffness index, heart rate, stress index and the adequacy of regulatory processes. Thus, in order to reduce the subclinical level of stress-related anxiety in young people, it can be recommended to conduct a series of relaxation trainings in VR, without resorting to pharmacological methods. The main effect of relaxation in a VR environment is achieved by enhancing the function of the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system.



Maintaining upright posture during visual control of the common center of pressure in different standing conditions
Abstract
Motion of the common center of pressure (CCP) and center of pressure (CP) of each leg was studied in subject standing by each leg on separate force platform. Subject maintained the vertical posture during ordinary standing and during standing with visual feedback from the CCP position presented on the monitor. In both conditions the body weight was either symmetrically distributed between legs or partially transferred to right or to left leg. During standing with symmetrical loading of both legs the visual feedback led to the decrease the standard deviation of CCP and CP of each leg. After the transfer of the body weight on one leg standard deviation of the CCP and CP of each leg was not changed when the visual feedback was present. It is likely that the afferentation from loaded leg was sufficient for define the equilibrium body position. The velocity of motion of CCP increased with presence of the visual feedback during standing with all variants of weight distribution. The velocity of motion of CP of left leg increased with visual feedback during standing with symmetrical load and with load of the right leg. The velocity of motion of CP of right leg increased with visual feedback during standing load of the left leg. One could suggest that the tracking of the CCP position was mainly occurred by the leg that less involved into postural control. During standing with symmetrical weight distribution the afferentation from dominant leg more significant for the elaboration of referent body position for maintaining of vertical posture and the tracking CCP position influenced greater on the motion of the CP of the nondominant left leg. During standing with asymmetrical weight distribution the loaded leg is more involved into postural control and the tracking CCP position occurred by unloaded leg. It is suggested that the elaboration of referent body position for maintaining of vertical posture require the stationary position for leg that was mainly involved into postural control.



Comparison of changes in systemic and cerebral hemodynamics in two variants of the active standing test
Abstract
Justification of methods for diagnosing disorders of systemic and cerebral hemodynamics in humans is an important task of fundamental medicine. The aim of this study was to compare changes in systemic hemodynamics and cerebral circulation in two modifications of the orthostatic test: during active transition to a standing position from a supine position or from a sitting position. In a group of 11 young volunteers of both sexes, blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and stroke volume (SV) were continuously recorded, and changes in the concentration of oxyhemoglobin (OHb) and total hemoglobin (CHb) in the frontal cortex were assessed using infrared spectroscopy. In none of the tests, significant changes in mean BP occurred during verticalization, whereas changes in HR, SV, spectral power and phase synchronization of mean BP and HR oscillations in the low-frequency range (0.06–0.13 Hz) were observed. For most parameters, these changes were more pronounced in the “supine-standing” test than in the “sitting-standing” test. Along with that, an increase in the spectral power of low-frequency oscillations of CHb and OHb in small cerebral vessels, as well as the degree of synchronization of low-frequency oscillations of OHb and mean BP, which can reflect the processes of cerebral circulation control, were observed only in the “supine-standing” test. Thus, both variants of the active orthostatic test provide an assessment of systemic hemodynamics, whereas the “supine-standing” test is more appropriate for assessing cerebral circulation.



Features of cardiorespiratory system indicators in the North and their dynamics in participants of arctic expeditions and wintering at the polar station “North Pole-41”
Abstract
The aim of this work was a synchronous study of cardiovascular and respiratory indicators with a search for their relationship among residents of different latitudes and in high-latitude Arctic expeditions. The effect of place of residence on cardiorespiratory system parameters was studied in 113 men – workers of industrial enterprises (Sochi, Moscow, North). Adaptation to short-term Arctic expeditions was assessed in men (43 people in total, aged 35–60 years); 15 Moscow residents of the same age served as a control. The dynamics of adaptive processes in Arctic expeditions was assessed based on the results of testing before and after the start of the expeditions, on SP-41 – monthly. Two two-minute recordings were made on the spiroarterioacardiorrhythmograph (SACR) device: with voluntary breathing and with controlled breathing at a frequency of 6 cycles per minute. The amplitude-temporal values of the average respiratory cycle were assessed, as well as the statistical parameters of heart rate variability (HRV) SDNN and RMSSD. It has been shown that residents of the North, in contrast to both southerners and Muscovites, are characterized by a shorter inspiration. In the HRV indices, northerners showed lower SDNN values compared to Sochi residents, with a similar trend (p = 0.065) for the RMSSD value. Only northerners had correlations between the respiratory and HRV indices. We did not detect any dynamics of the assessed indices of the cardiorespiratory system in short-term (up to 4 weeks) Arctic expeditions, neither with any of the breathing patterns used, nor with double or triple testing. In monitoring at SP-41, it was found that 2–3 days after the start of the expedition, under controlled breathing conditions, the RMSSD index was reduced. A month after the start of wintering, a decrease in the tidal volume in the controlled breathing test (at the trend level, p = 0.078) and a decrease in the SDNN and RMSSD indices were recorded. In high-latitude expeditions, a decrease in autonomic regulation indicators is observed against the background of a reduction in volumetric, but not time-related indicators of the respiratory cycle, which is revealed only when breathing at a frequency of 6 cycles per minute.



Band-pass spectral-temporal parameters of forced expiratory noises in bronchial obstruction. relation with whistling sounds
Abstract
A comparative study of band-pass spectral-temporal parameters of tracheal noises of forced expiratory (FE) and quantitative assessment of FE wheezes was conducted on an experimental sample including patients with bronchial obstruction (asthma and COPD, n = 36) and healthy asymptomatic individuals with normal lung function (n = 39). Digital processing of tracheal noise signals was performed in MATLAB automatically using a specially developed algorithm. The analyzed acoustic band-pass parameters are temporal and spectral characteristics in several (2 to 6) combined 200-Hz bands, divided into mid- (200–800 Hz) and high-frequency (800–2000 Hz) areas in the range of 200–2000 Hz, as well as their ratios. FE wheezes were recognized by an experienced operator on spectrograms in the SpectraPLUS audio editor. A significant predominance of the values of high-frequency band-pass energy parameters of tracheal noises and the ratio of energies and powers of the high-frequency and mid-frequency ranges was revealed in patients with obstructive pulmonary diseases compared to healthy controls. The number of whistling sounds was greater in patients and moderately correlated with the acoustic parameters. Redistribution of acoustic energy to the high-frequency region is probably associated with the pathophysiological basis of bronchial obstruction – narrowing of the conducting airways and an increase in airflow resistance.



ОБЗОРЫ
Model of contrast sensitivity of the human visual system during stimulus movement
Abstract
A model of contrast sensitivity of the human visual system when perceiving sinusoidal gratings moving at angular speeds of up to 1000 degrees per second is considered. The model is built on the basis of a tremor modulation signal, which is taken to be the difference in the concentration of the photoreagent at the extreme points of the tremor, normalized to the level of adaptation. The model details the dependence of contrast sensitivity on physiological factors such as photoreceptor size, amplitude and frequency of tremor for adaptation brightness of 0.001–1000 cd/m2. The model establishes a relationship between the results of measuring the contrast sensitivity of the visual system and the results of measuring natural tremor oscillations of the eyes during the perception of stationary and dynamic stimuli.



Participation of the gut microbiome in the regulation of skeletal muscle metabolism
Abstract
The gut microbiota contributes to the regulation of skeletal muscle metabolism in various human functional states through a variety of formed metabolites that can be used as energy substrates or are signaling and regulatory molecules. The review presents the results of studies on the effects of bacterial short-chain fatty acids on signaling pathways regulating skeletal muscle metabolism and providing increased physical performance and improved human health.



Iron metabolism in human body on Earth and in space
Abstract
The review summarizes modern concepts about iron metabolism in the human body under terrestrial conditions and during space flights. The processes of absorption, transport, deposition and excretion of iron from the body, the effect of regulatory proteins, transporter proteins and receptor proteins on the metabolism of this trace element are considered. Special attention is paid to iron metabolism among participants in ground-based model experiments simulating the effects of space flight factors, as well as among crew members of expeditions to the Mir space station and the International Space Station. The paper presents and analyzes, from a modern point of view, experimental data on the peculiarities of iron metabolism in humans under extreme conditions of vital activity.



Modulation of human adaptation processes to weightlessness conditions by artificial reproduction of weight load effects in space flight
Abstract
At present, the mechanisms of human adaptation to the action of weightlessness, which humans, as a biological species, have encountered only recently, continue to be intensively studied. Understanding the mechanisms of human adaptation to weightlessness allows us to propose ways of modulating this process with preservation of useful adaptive reactions against the background of suppression of negative syndromes characteristic of space flight and inhibition of mechanisms preventing favorable functioning of physiological systems after returning to the conditions of gravity. One of the integral components of the system of countermeasure of the negative influence of weightlessness is artificial reproduction of the effects of gravity, i.e. imitation of the impact on the human body of the weight load characteristic of the Earth conditions. The article considers the role of artificial reproduction of the effects of the weight load corresponding in value to the weight of the human body before the space flight. The article tests the hypothesis about the possibility of modulation of adaptation processes to weightlessness conditions by providing the necessary sensory inflow to the receptors of gravity-dependent physiological systems and its influence on the processes of re-adaptation to Earth conditions. The “weight” loading used during the flight was analyzed, as well as the data of pre-flight, flight and post-flight tests on the performance of 10 cosmonauts who performed long space flights with an average duration of 173 ± 33 days. It is shown that regular reproduction of the effects of weight load corresponding to the human body mass on Earth allows to modulate the process of human adaptation to weightlessness.


