Jump to
Breathing is a complex motor task that needs to be coordinated at all times while we eat, speak, exercise and even during sleep. The breathing muscles are controlled automatically from the brainstem during normal breathing but can also be controlled voluntarily from the motor cortex. The way these two drives to the breathing muscles interact is still not well understood. While there is some evidence that there are at least two independent pathways, and that integration of the pathways occurs at the spinal cord, there is some uncertainty about whether these pathways may have some interaction in the brainstem. Our current experiments are looking at voluntary and involuntary drive to the breathing muscles to try to answer this fundamental question about the neural control of breathing. In addition we are looking at the potential cortical contributions to resting breathing in respiratory disorders.
Jump to
Donate to us
Every dollar of community support enables our scientists to continue making life-changing discoveries that contribute to a brighter and healthier future.
Fundraise for us
Run, swim or bake your way to making a positive difference in the lives of people touched by brain and nervous system disorders.