Control of Breathing and Brain
Activation in Human Subjects Seen by Functional Magnetic
Resonance Imaging
V. ŠMEJKAL, R. DRUGA1,
J. TINTÌRA2
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
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