University of Portsmouth and UCL researchers have mapped how body systems communicate during stress, potentially enabling earlier illness detection through breakthrough real-time monitoring technology.
Scientists from the University of Portsmouth and University College London have developed a revolutionary method to track how different organs coordinate their responses to extreme physical conditions, offering new possibilities for spotting health problems before symptoms emerge.
The groundbreaking research, published in the Journal of Physiology, examined how the body’s internal systems communicate during challenging conditions including oxygen deprivation, sleep loss, and physical exertion.
Using advanced wearable sensors, the research team monitored 22 healthy volunteers at Portsmouth’s Extreme Environment Labs. The participants underwent testing whilst experiencing controlled stress scenarios, with face masks measuring breathing gases and pulse oximeters tracking blood oxygen levels.
Unlike traditional medical monitoring that focuses on individual measurements such as heart rate or breathing patterns, this innovative approach uses ‘transfer entropy’ to map the dynamic relationships between different body systems in real-time.
Dr Joe Costello from the University’s School of Psychology, Sport and Health Sciences explained: “This approach allows us to observe how the body’s internal systems communicate when they’re challenged to respond and adapt. Such insights could revolutionise how we identify when something begins to go wrong.”
The study uncovered that different types of stress trigger distinct bodily responses:
- During exercise: The heart becomes the primary coordinator, receiving extensive input from other systems as it works to supply blood to muscles
- Under low oxygen conditions: Blood oxygen levels take centre stage, working closely with respiratory systems to compensate for reduced air quality
- With sleep deprivation: Changes are more subtle, but when combined with low oxygen, breathing rate assumes control
Associate Professor Alireza Mani, who heads UCL’s Network Physiology Lab, emphasised the healthcare implications: “These maps demonstrate that our body responds in an integrated, intelligent manner. By mapping this, we’re establishing what normal patterns look like, enabling us to identify when things go awry.”
The research suggests particular relevance for intensive care units, where early signs of deterioration from conditions like sepsis or COVID-19 often appear not in average readings, but in how those readings relate to each other.
Dr Thomas Williams from Portsmouth’s School of Psychology, Sport and Health Sciences noted: “Extreme environments provide a safe and controlled method to replicate the physiological stress observed in illness or injury. By studying how the body responds under these conditions, we can develop tools to detect early warning signs before symptoms manifest.”
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The researchers believe their method could eventually assist doctors in identifying early warning signs of illness or poor recovery, particularly in intensive care settings where vital signs are already continuously monitored. Applications could extend to athletes, military personnel, and workers in extreme environments.
The research team acknowledged that only healthy, young participants were included in this study, with several individuals withdrawn due to adverse events. They recommend further investigation with a broader range of participants to better understand the relationship between physiological stressors and bodily responses.
The study builds upon earlier research demonstrating that just 20 minutes of moderate exercise can enhance brain performance following poor sleep.
