Population
Harbor seals (n=4)
Comparison
Immersion in water at different temperatures… vs Forced apnea in air; immersion with intact…
Design
Preclinical
Authors
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Challenges temperature as driver of seal immersion bradycardia; supports apnea and facial receptor roles but leaves open human translation.
The dive reflex bradycardia in harbor seals is primarily driven by cessation of lung and rib cage movements and neural activity in facial receptors, rather than water temperature.
Robert W. Dykes (1974) studied this question.
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