Phrenic and hypoglossal neural responses to cold airflow in the upper airway

Cold air flowing through the larynx is known to alter the activities of laryngeal receptors with afferents in the superior laryngeal nerves (SLNs) and to induce reflex apnea in neonatal mammals. To examine the ventilatory response in adult animals and to explore associated upper airway motor responses, we recorded phrenic and hypoglossal neural responses to cooling the isolated larynx with cold air in decerebrate, vagotomized, paralyzed, ventilated cats. The most consistent response was phrenic inhibition, which occurred in all animals tested. Either excitation or inhibition of hypoglossal activity was seen consistently in individual cats, with the result that the group response was not statistically significant. All responses to laryngeal cooling were abolished by section of the SLNs. The findings confirm that directing cold air through the larynx causes reflex inhibition of ventilatory (phrenic) activity, but raise new questions as to how the two, directionally opposite hypoglossal responses are mediated.