The effect of lung inflation on breathing in man during wakefulness and sleep

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Abstract

To determine whether the Hering-Breuer inflation reflex could be demonstrated in the presence and absence of behavioral influences on breathing, lung inflation was performed via the tracheal stoma in eleven laryngectomized subjects: seen seated at rest with their eyes closed and six recumbent during their deepest non-rapid eye movement sleep. Laryngectomized subjects were chosen for study since their permanent tracheal stoma and absence of a glottis abolisehd the sensation of inflation in the upper airways, avoided problems with glottic closure and allowed simple, airtight connection to respiratory apparatus. At rest, awake, inflation volumes of 500–3050 ml caused no reproducible apnea. During EEG-documented sleep, the inflation reflex was tested on 75 occasions using inflation volumes of 540–2100 ml. On the 66 occasions not associated with subject arousal inflation exceeding approximately 1 L produced apnea terminated by inspiration; greater volumes gave longer apneas. At the end of the study the subjects were woken and retested; no reproducible apnea was found. We conclude that the Hering-Breuer inflation reflex can be demonstrated above the resting tidal volume range in adult man in the absence of the behavioral control breathing.

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