Breathing above the brain stem

What neural circuitry is engaged in the conscious control of breathing? While most neurophysiological research on breathing focuses on the automatic control in the brainstem, a recently-published study provides a novel look at the tracking of the breathing cycle in widespread cortical and limbic sites in humans. In this podcast, Editor-in-Chief Bill Yates (University of Pittsburgh) talks with authors Dr. Jose Herrero (Northwell Health; Feinstein Institute for Medical Research) and Dr. Ashesh Mehta (Northwell Health; Feinstein Institute for Medical Research) about their work. Listen to learn about the recording methods employed, the types of activity discovered, and the implications for volitional control and awareness of breathing.

Breathing above the brain stem: volitional control and attentional modulation in humans
Jose L. Herrero, Simon Khuvis, Erin Yeagle, Moran Cerf, and Ashesh D. Mehta
Journal of Neurophysiology, published online January 3, 2018. DOI: 10.1152/jn.00551.2017.