Current Research

I have been working in Dr. Sunar’s lab and focused my research on exploring the hemodynamic changes of HbO, Hb, and THC in skeletal muscle during controlled exercise conditions. These changes are critical analyses because they stand for the response of muscle tissue due to physical stress and give insights into general muscle health. For instance, oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration levels are hemodynamic parameters that have been identified as reliable indicators of muscle oxygenation and metabolic activity during exercise.

In this summer, the use of cuff ischemia-a technique that creates conditions of ischemia by the sudden restriction of blood flow- was the basis on which my experiment was performed. From this experiment, I observed that in healthy individuals, HbO decreases exponentially while Hb increases exponentially. These results can analyze ischemia-induced metabolic changes in skeletal muscles. THC slightly increased to remain constant. These provide the physiological basis for a healthy muscle tissue response that is important in comparison with further research on healthy subjects to patients suffering from skeletal muscle diseases.

Figure 1: ISS Probe looks like (Dr. Sunar’s Lab and OxiplexTS Manual)

Figure 2: ISS calculation plots of different hemodynamic parameters during exercise (Dr. Sunar’s Lab)

My ultimate goal in this research is to investigate the distinction of hemodynamic responses between healthy subjects and patients with skeletal muscle diseases, like myopathy, through changes in HbO, Hb, and THC levels in response to controlled exercises in both groups. Elucidation of specific patterns or abnormalities in the hemodynamic response in patients with muscle diseases could lead to the development of diagnostic tools that may allow for early detection and effective monitoring of the disease course. I also would contribute to discussing several therapeutic interventions that might influence these hemodynamic changes and improve outcomes.