Control of Breathing and Brain Activation in Human Subjects Seen by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

V. ŠMEJKAL, R. DRUGA¹, J. TINTĚRA²

Institute of Pathophysiology and ¹Institute of Functional Anatomy, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, ²Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic

Received March 17, 1998
Accepted September 17, 1998

Summary
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to demonstrate the brain activation during transition from unconscious to conscious breathing in seven healthy human subjects. In right-handed volunteers, the activated areas were found in both hemispheres. The medial part of the precentral gyrus (area 4) was constantly activated in the left hemisphere. Additional activated areas were demonstrated in the premotor cortex and in the posterior parietal cortex. The activated cortical sites exhibited analogous distribution in the right hemisphere. In two out of the seven subjects, activated sites were also observed in the cerebellar hemispheres, and in the lentiform and caudate nuclei.

Key words
Respiratory control - Brain activation - Magnetic resonance