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From nasal respiration to brain dynamic.

Payam ShahsavarSepideh GhazvinehMohammad Reza Raoufy
Published in: Reviews in the neurosciences (2024)
While breathing is a vital, involuntary physiological function, the mode of respiration, particularly nasal breathing, exerts a profound influence on brain activity and cognitive processes. This review synthesizes existing research on the interactions between nasal respiration and the entrainment of oscillations across brain regions involved in cognition. The rhythmic activation of olfactory sensory neurons during nasal respiration is linked to oscillations in widespread brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex, entorhinal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and parietal cortex, as well as the piriform cortex. The phase-locking of neural oscillations to the respiratory cycle, through nasal breathing, enhances brain inter-regional communication and is associated with cognitive abilities like memory. Understanding the nasal breathing impact on brain networks offers opportunities to explore novel methods for targeting the olfactory pathway as a means to enhance emotional and cognitive functions.
Keyphrases
  • resting state
  • functional connectivity
  • white matter
  • chronic rhinosinusitis
  • prefrontal cortex
  • working memory
  • cerebral ischemia
  • spinal cord
  • drug delivery
  • blood brain barrier
  • respiratory tract