Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2026

Custom Smartphone Application to Guide Locomotor-Respiratory Coupling in the Field Using Step-Adaptive Breathing Sounds
Published on: September 27, 2024
Dyspnea: the role of psychological processes
Steven De Peuter1, Ilse Van Diest, Valentine Lemaigre
1Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Abstract:
Breathlessness or dyspnea-the subjective experience of breathing discomfort-is a symptom in many pulmonary, cardiovascular, and neuromuscular diseases. It occurs in normals as well during intense emotional states and heavy labor or exercise. In clinical cases, it generally causes severe suffering. Dyspnea has multifactorial causes and the explanation for the symptom may differ largely among patients. Explanatory models imply the involvement of mechanisms at several levels of functioning, such as afferent signals from the respiratory muscles or blood gas levels related to hypercapnia and hypoxia. Depending on the relative involvement of specific mechanisms and their interactions, dyspnea may be experienced differently and subtypes can be distinguished. More recently, perceptual-cognitive and emotional processes related to symptom perception and interpretation have been investigated in the context of dyspnea. In this review, we focus on the psychological processes that play part in the perception of dyspnea and formulate some practical guidelines for those who are confronted with dyspnea.
Related Concept Videos
Hyperpnea and Hyperventilation
Physiological Control of Respiration
Breathing, a seemingly passive process, is regulated by the respiratory center in the brainstem. This center coordinates the involuntary control of respirations, which means it occurs without conscious effort, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted pattern.
Regulation of Ventilation
The body maintains ventilation by monitoring levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), oxygen (O2), and hydrogen ion concentration (pH) in the arterial blood. Among these factors, the level of CO2 plays a crucial...
Other Factors Affecting Respiration Centers
However, the ability to hold one's breath voluntarily is not limitless. When the CO2 concentration in the blood reaches a critical level,...
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease IV: Clinical Manifestations
Pulmonary Cycle: Exhalation
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation
