Inhibitory effect of an intellectual task on breathing after voluntary hyperventilation

We investigated the effects of an intellectual task on posthyperventilation (PHV) breathing by using a video game. Eight normal subjects were placed in a supine positions. The game task by itself led to increase ventilation compared with the control tasks via an increase in the average inspiratory flow rate (P < 0.01) and the respiratory frequency (P < 0.001). After hypocapnic voluntary hyperventilation (VHV), the task led to a decrease in the 1-min PHV breathing level compared with the control tasks after VHV [after VHV, first 60 s average minute ventilation while watching television and while playing a video game are 5.54 +/- 2.91 (SD) and 2.05 +/- 1.40 l/min, respectively; P < 0.01]. Only one subject showed PHV apnea for at least 10 s during the control protocol, whereas seven of the same eight subjects showed PHV apnea while performing the task. After isocapnic VHV, the task still led to a decrease in PHV breathing compared with the control tasks. However, this decrease was smaller than in the hypocapnic studies and was only significant during the first 15 s of recovery. These results suggest that increased activity in the higher centers of the central nervous system has an inhibitory effect on PHV breathing at a time when the effects of short-term potentiation after VHV, hypocapnia, and perhaps other mechanisms would be expected to be acting on breathing.