Interferences between breathing, experimental dyspnoea and bodily self-consciousness

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Dyspnoea, or breathing discomfort, is a distressing symptom linked to brain networks involved in self-consciousness.
• Breathing acts as an interoceptive signal, contributing to the sense of owning one's body and its location.
• Experimental dyspnoea may disrupt the link between breathing and bodily self-consciousness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how experimental dyspnoea affects bodily self-consciousness.
• To explore if manipulating bodily self-consciousness via respiratory-visual stimulation can alleviate dyspnoea.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-five healthy volunteers participated in the study.
• Participants were exposed to synchronous and asynchronous respiratory-visual illumination of an avatar.
• Stimulation was applied during normal breathing and during mechanically induced dyspnoea.

Main Results:

• During normal breathing, synchronous stimulation led to illusory self-identification and altered breathing location.
• These effects were absent during dyspnoea-inducing loaded breathing.
• Respiratory-visual stimulation attenuated the affective impact of dyspnoea, especially when asynchronous.

Conclusions:

• This study reinforces the integration of interoceptive and exteroceptive signals in constructing bodily self-consciousness.
• Experimental dyspnoea interferes with cognitive functions related to self-consciousness.
• Respiratory-visual stimulation shows potential as a non-pharmacological treatment for dyspnoea.