The influence of cerebellum on carbon dioxide responses in the dog

The influence of the cerebellum on the baseline ventilatory responses while breathing oxygen and O2-CO2 mixture was investigated in mongrel dogs anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbital. Ablation of the anterior lobe of the cerebellum significantly depressed both the baseline and CO2 responses. By contrast, the posterior lobe ablation did not produce any significant change. The results indicate that the anterior lobe of the cerebellum may exert a facilitatory effect on respiration. The exact nature of the underlying mechanism is not known, but the anterior lobe of the cerebellum may directly or indirectly modulate the activity of the vagal afferents.