Generation of respiratory rhythm and pattern in mammals: insights from developmental studies

Our understanding of the cellular, synaptic and network mechanisms underlying respiratory rhythm generation in mammals is progressing rapidly as researchers focus on a site hypothesized as the source of rhythm generation, the preBötzinger complex, in the rostral ventrolateral medulla. Furthermore, ontogenetic and modulatory factors affecting respiratory neuronal circuits are receiving considerable attention, as postnatal development of motor systems becomes increasingly apparent.