Neural activity is modulated by spontaneous and volitionally controlled breathing

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Respiratory Physiology
• Brain-Body Interactions

Background:

• Respiration-brain coupling is recognized, but dynamic modulation of neural activity by breathing remains unclear.
• Understanding how breathing variations influence neural states is crucial for brain function research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in neural states between spontaneous and volitionally controlled breathing.
• To examine neural activity modulation across breathing phases (inspiration/expiration) and breathing patterns (deep, square).

Main Methods:

• Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and a respiratory belt recorded cortical activity in 33 participants.
• Participants engaged in spontaneous, deep, and square breathing exercises.
• Self-report measures assessed mood and arousal changes.

Main Results:

• Alpha power fluctuated with breathing phases, suppressed during inspiration and increased during expiration (p < .01).
• Deep breathing increased alpha power in sensorimotor, frontal, and temporal areas compared to spontaneous and square breathing (p < .01).
• Square breathing altered spectral characteristics in the left superior frontal gyrus compared to spontaneous breathing.

Conclusions:

• Neural activity is dynamically modulated by breathing phases and can be volitionally controlled.
• Breathing rate, depth, and pattern influence both oscillatory and spectral characteristics of neural activity.
• Psychological states (mood, arousal) did not significantly differ across breathing techniques.