J Physiol Wellcome Trust-funded researchers
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


Physiology in Press

First published online on March 7, 2003.
Copyright © 2003 by The Physiological Society
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (Rapid PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
548/2/339    most recent
2002.037192v2
2002.037192v1
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Eckberg, D. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Eckberg, D. L.

Received December 6, 2002
Accepted after revision February 13, 2003

The human respiratory gate

D. L. Eckberg1*

1 4614 Riverside Drive, Richmond, Virginia 23225, USA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: deckberg{at}ekholmen.com.

Respiratory activity phasically alters membrane potentials of preganglionic vagal and sympathetic motoneurones and continuously modulates their responsiveness to stimulatory inputs. The most obvious manifestation of this 'respiratory gating' is respiratory sinus arrhythmia, the rhythmic fluctuations of electrocardiographic R-R intervals observed in healthy resting humans. Phasic autonomic motoneurone firing, reflecting the throughput of the system, depends importantly on the intensity of stimulatory inputs, such that when levels of stimulation are low (as with high arterial pressure and sympathetic activity, or low arterial pressure and vagal activity), respiratory fluctuations of sympathetic or vagal firing are also low. The respiratory gate has a finite capacity, and high levels of stimulation override the ability of respiration to gate autonomic responsiveness. Autonomic throughput also depends importantly on other factors, including especially, the frequency of breathing, the rate at which the gate opens and closes. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is small at rapid, and large at slow breathing rates. The strong correlation between systolic pressure and R-R intervals at respiratory frequencies reflects the influence of respiration on these two measures, rather than arterial baroreflex physiology. A wide range of evidence suggests that respiratory activity gates the timing of autonomic motoneurone firing, but does not influence its tonic level. I propose that the most enduring significance of respiratory gating is its use as a precisely controlled experimental tool to tease out and better understand otherwise inaccessible human autonomic neurophysiological mechanisms.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
HeartHome page
R. Baruah, D. P Francis, and R. Sutton
Cardiorespiratory interaction in vasovagal syncope
Heart, November 1, 2008; 94(11): 1372 - 1373.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
K. L. Ryan, W. H. Cooke, C. A. Rickards, K. G. Lurie, and V. A. Convertino
Breathing through an inspiratory threshold device improves stroke volume during central hypovolemia in humans
J Appl Physiol, May 1, 2008; 104(5): 1402 - 1409.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol.Home page
K. Kotani, K. Takamasu, Y. Jimbo, and Y. Yamamoto
Postural-induced phase shift of respiratory sinus arrhythmia and blood pressure variations: insight from respiratory-phase domain analysis
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, March 1, 2008; 294(3): H1481 - H1489.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
C. D. Steinback and M. J. Poulin
Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular responses to acute isocapnic and poikilocapnic hypoxia in humans
J Appl Physiol, February 1, 2008; 104(2): 482 - 489.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol.Home page
Y. C. Tzeng, P. D. Larsen, and D. C. Galletly
Effects of hypercapnia and hypoxemia on respiratory sinus arrhythmia in conscious humans during spontaneous respiration
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, May 1, 2007; 292(5): H2397 - H2407.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Physiol.Home page
B. Musizza, A. Stefanovska, P. V. E. McClintock, M. Palus, J. Petrovcic, S. Ribaric, and F. F. Bajrovic
Interactions between cardiac, respiratory and EEG-{delta} oscillations in rats during anaesthesia
J. Physiol., April 1, 2007; 580(1): 315 - 326.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol.Home page
S. Shibata, R. Zhang, J. Hastings, Q. Fu, K. Okazaki, K.-i. Iwasaki, and B. D. Levine
Cascade model of ventricular-arterial coupling and arterial-cardiac baroreflex function for cardiovascular variability in humans
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, November 1, 2006; 291(5): H2142 - H2151.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
A. Malliani, C. Julien, G. E. Billman, S. Cerutti, M. F. Piepoli, L. Bernardi, P. Sleight, M. A. Cohen, C. O. Tan, D. Laude, et al.
Cardiovascular variability is/is not an index of autonomic control of circulation
J Appl Physiol, August 1, 2006; 101(2): 684 - 688.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
C. J. Lai, C. C. H. Yang, Y. Y. Hsu, Y. N. Lin, and T. B. J. Kuo
Enhanced sympathetic outflow and decreased baroreflex sensitivity are associated with intermittent hypoxia-induced systemic hypertension in conscious rats
J Appl Physiol, June 1, 2006; 100(6): 1974 - 1982.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Physiol.Home page
D. A. Mandel and A. M. Schreihofer
Central respiratory modulation of barosensitive neurones in rat caudal ventrolateral medulla
J. Physiol., May 1, 2006; 572(3): 881 - 896.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
HypertensionHome page
K. Narkiewicz, P. van de Borne, N. Montano, D. Hering, T. Kara, and V. K. Somers
Sympathetic Neural Outflow and Chemoreflex Sensitivity Are Related to Spontaneous Breathing Rate in Normal Men
Hypertension, January 1, 2006; 47(1): 51 - 55.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J Am Coll CardiolHome page
G. D. Pinna, R. Maestri, S. Capomolla, O. Febo, E. Robbi, F. Cobelli, and M. T. La Rovere
Applicability and Clinical Relevance of the Transfer Function Method in the Assessment of Baroreflex Sensitivity in Heart Failure Patients
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., October 4, 2005; 46(7): 1314 - 1321.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol.Home page
P. P. J. van der Veek, C. A. Swenne, H. v. d. Vooren, A. L. Schoneveld, R. Maestri, and A. A. M. Masclee
Viscerosensory-cardiovascular reflexes: altered baroreflex sensitivity in irritable bowel syndrome
Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, October 1, 2005; 289(4): R970 - R976.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Exp PhysiolHome page
G. Gulli, V. E. Claydon, V. L. Cooper, and R. Hainsworth
R-R interval-blood pressure interaction in subjects with different tolerances to orthostatic stress
Exp Physiol, May 1, 2005; 90(3): 367 - 375.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol.Home page
O. Gilad, C. A. Swenne, L. R. Davrath, and S. Akselrod
Phase-averaged characterization of respiratory sinus arrhythmia pattern
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, February 1, 2005; 288(2): H504 - H510.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol.Home page
A. M. Kiviniemi, A. J. Hautala, T. Seppanen, T. H. Makikallio, H. V. Huikuri, and M. P. Tulppo
Saturation of high-frequency oscillations of R-R intervals in healthy subjects and patients after acute myocardial infarction during ambulatory conditions
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, November 1, 2004; 287(5): H1921 - H1927.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
E. Bouairi, R. Neff, C. Evans, A. Gold, M. C. Andresen, and D. Mendelowitz
Respiratory sinus arrhythmia in freely moving and anesthetized rats
J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2004; 97(4): 1431 - 1436.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ChestHome page
G. J. Gates, S. E. Mateika, R. C. Basner, and J. H. Mateika
Baroreflex Sensitivity in Nonapneic Snorers and Control Subjects Before and After Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
Chest, September 1, 2004; 126(3): 801 - 807.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol.Home page
P. Grossman, F. H. Wilhelm, and M. Spoerle
Respiratory sinus arrhythmia, cardiac vagal control, and daily activity
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, August 1, 2004; 287(2): H728 - H734.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
I. Fietze, D. Romberg, M. Glos, S. Endres, H. Theres, C. Witt, and V. K. Somers
Effects of positive-pressure ventilation on the spontaneous baroreflex in healthy subjects
J Appl Physiol, March 1, 2004; 96(3): 1155 - 1160.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol.Home page
J. Cui, R. Zhang, T. E. Wilson, and C. G. Crandall
Spectral analysis of muscle sympathetic nerve activity in heat-stressed humans
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, March 1, 2004; 286(3): H1101 - H1106.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Copyright © 2003 The Physiological Society.