Human cerebral activity with increasing inspiratory force: A study using positron emission tomography

The major aim of this study was to use positron emission tomography (PET) to assess dose-dependent effects of inspiratory loads on relative regional cerebral blood flow as an indication of neuronal activation and recruitment. Six normal men underwent (H2O)-O-15-PET scanning during unloaded breathing and with external inspiratory loads (generating mouth pressures of -5, -10, and -15 cmH(2)O); positive-pressure ventilation against relaxed respiratory muscles acted as control. During unloaded breathing, the supplementary motor area was significantly activated. With the addition of the smallest load, activations also occurred in the right premotor area and bilaterally in the superolateral motor cortex (MI) in areas previously shown to be activated with deeper breathing. There was little further change in these areas with greater loads. Additional force-related activations occurred in the inferolateral sensorimotor cortex, parietal cortex, and midbrain/hypothalamus. The results suggest that volitionally induced increases in inspiratory muscle force are achieved via a complex integration of neuronal activations in cortical and subcortical regions associated with motor control.