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Suprapontine control of respiration
1Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois, Urbana 61803, USA.
Respiration Physiology
|February 2, 1999
Summary
Higher brain regions, beyond the brainstem, significantly influence breathing control. Suprapontine areas like the cerebral cortex and hypothalamus modulate ventilation during volitional breathing and in response to oxygen changes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- Traditional focus on brainstem (medulla, pons) for respiratory control.
- Emerging evidence highlights suprapontine regions' role in modulating ventilation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the function of suprapontine brain areas in mammalian ventilatory control.
- To emphasize the role of the cerebral cortex, diencephalon, and midbrain in respiratory modulation.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature.
- Emphasis on findings from new imaging techniques (e.g., fMRI) in humans.
- Discussion of neuronal sensitivity to physiological changes (e.g., oxygen tension).
Main Results:
- The cerebral cortex is crucial for volitional breathing control.
- The caudal hypothalamus integrates respiratory output with homeostasis and responds to oxygen levels.
- Midbrain regions (periaqueductal gray, mesencephalic locomotor region) link respiration with locomotion and defense responses.
Conclusions:
- Suprapontine regions exert significant modulatory control over brainstem respiratory centers.
- These higher brain areas are critical for adapting breathing during various physiological states and behaviors.