Global coordination of brain activity by the breathing cycle

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Respiratory Physiology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Neuronal activity often synchronizes with the breathing rhythm in mammals.
• This synchronization occurs in brain regions involved in respiration, olfaction, emotion, and cognition.
• The breathing cycle also influences perception and action.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the synchronization of brain activity with breathing across different brain areas, organizational levels, and states.
• To explore the physiological origins of this widespread neural synchrony.
• To elucidate the mechanistic link between breathing and neural coding, emotion, and cognition.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on neuronal activity and breathing rhythms.
• Analysis of how sensory activity from nasal airflow spreads through brain circuits.
• Examination of the modulation of neural oscillations and communication by the breathing cycle.

Main Results:

• Brain activity synchronizes with breathing across diverse brain regions, not just those directly related to respiration.
• Nasal airflow evokes sensory activity waves that synchronize neuronal populations.
• Breathing synchrony modulates faster neural oscillations, cell assembly formation, and inter-area communication.

Conclusions:

• The breathing rhythm provides a fundamental mechanism for organizing neural activity across the brain.
• Breathing-related neural synchrony offers a mechanistic link between respiration, sensory processing, emotion, and cognition.
• Evolution has shaped neural network functions across species to be influenced by the breathing rhythm.