Brain Activation
during Volitional Control of Breathing
V. ŠMEJKAL,
R. DRUGA1, J. TINTÌRA2
Institute
of Pathophysiology, 1Institute
of Functional Anatomy, Second Faculty of
Medicine, Charles University and 2Institute
of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague,
Czech Republic
Received
November 18, 1999
Accepted March 21, 2000
Summary
Functional
magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to
demonstrate the brain activation during
volitional control of breathing in nine healthy
human subjects. This type of breathing was
induced by acoustic stimuli dictating the
respiratory frequency. During the period of
dictated breathing not only the frontal and
temporal lobes of the brain, but also the
parietal lobes were bilaterally activated. The
frontal lobe was activated bilaterally in all
subjects, with frequent activation of Brodmann
areas 4 and 6. In the parietal lobe, activation
could mostly be demonstrated in gyrus
postcentralis and the same was true for area 22
in the temporal lobe.
Key words
Respiratory
control · Brain activation · Magnetic resonance
· Hearing
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requests
Doc.
Dr. V. Šmejkal, CSc., Institute of Pathophysiology, Second Faculty of Medicine,
Charles University, Plzeòská 221, 150 00 Prague
5, Czech Republic.
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