Respiration as a dynamic modulator of sensory sampling

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Physiology

Background:

• Respiration is known to influence brain function and arousal.
• The precise mechanisms by which breathing modulates sensory perception remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how respiration dynamically modulates human sensory perception.
• To explore the neural correlates of respiration-brain coupling during visual perception tasks.

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous high-density magnetoencephalography (MEG), respiration, and pupillometry recordings.
• Analysis of respiration-modulated changes in cortical excitability and neural oscillations (alpha and beta bands).
• Multivariate Granger causality analyses to assess directed information flow within interoceptive networks.

Main Results:

• Perceptual sensitivity to near-threshold visual stimuli was enhanced during inspiration.
• Respiration-modulated increases in arousal and cortical excitability were observed.
• Adaptive respiratory alignment with stimulus onset correlated with improved perceptual performance.
• Distinct shifts in sensory and motor excitability were reflected in alpha and beta oscillations, respectively.
• Breathing rhythm systematically shaped directed information flow within an interoceptive network.

Conclusions:

• Respiration actively shapes sensory perception by modulating brain states and information flow.
• Adaptive respiratory coupling to external stimuli optimizes perception, demonstrating a mechanism for active sensing.
• The findings highlight the integration of internal bodily rhythms with external sensory demands for enhanced perception.