Breathlessness and control of breathing Flashcards
VT?
Tidal volume
TTOR?
duration of a single respiratory cycle
VE?
Minute ventilation
Frequency = ?
1/TTOT
60/TTOT ?
converts to respiratory frequency per minute
What are the separate controllers in the brain?
Automatic bulbopontine controller (Brainstem)
Behavioural Suprapontine control (widely distributed)
Involuntary centre is in the?
Involuntary or “metabolic” centre, in the medulla (bulbo–pontine brain)
Voluntary centre is in the?
Voluntary or “behavioural” centre, in motor area of cerebral cortex
Metabolic will always override the ?
Metabolic will always override the behavioural
Other parts of cortex, not under voluntary control, influence the metabolic centre, such as ?
What influences the metabolic centre?
Other parts of cortex, not under voluntary control, influence the metabolic centre, such as emotional responses.
Sleep via reticular formation influences the metabolic centre
Metabolic centre responds to ?
Metabolic centre responds to metabolic demands for and production of CO2 (V´CO2) and determines, in part, the “set point” for CO2, generally monitored as PaCO2.
Behavioural centre controls acts such as ?
What 3 things influence metabolic centre?
Behavioural centre controls acts such as breath holding, singing
Metabolic will always override the behavioural
The limbic system (survival responses [suffocation, hunger, thirst]), and frontal cortex (emotions) and sensory inputs (pain, startle) may influence the metabolic centre.
Where is the peripheral chemoreceptor?
The well perfused carotid body “tastes” arterial blood
It lies at the junction of the internal and external carotid arteries in the neck
It is a rapid response system for detecting changes in arterial PCO2 and PO2
Group pacemake activity comes from?
“group pacemaker” activity coming from about 10 groups of neurons in the medulla near nuclei of IX and X cranial nerves
One group, the pre–Botzinger complex, in ventro–cranial medulla, near 4th ventricle, seems essential for generating the respiratory rhythm, and has been called the “gasping centre”.
Coordination of pre–Botzinger complex with the other “controllers” may be needed to convert “gasping” into an orderly and responsive respiratory rhythm.
Cellular mechanisms and neurotransmitters are a complex and specialised subject
Discrete groups of neurons in the medulla discharge at different phases of the respiratory cycle and have different functions
Early inspiratory initiates ?
Inspiratory augmenting may also ?
Late inspiratory may signal ?
Expiratory decrementing may “brake” ?Expiratory augmenting may activate ?
Late expiratory may signal ?
Discrete groups of neurons in the medulla discharge at different phases of the respiratory cycle and have different functions
Early inspiratory initiates inspiratory flow via respiratory muscles
Inspiratory augmenting may also dilate pharynx, larynx and airways.
Late inspiratory may signal the end of inspiration, and “brake” the start of expiration.
Expiratory decrementing may “brake” passive expiration by adducting larynx and pharynx.
Expiratory augmenting may activate expiratory muscles when ventilation increases on exercise.
Late expiratory may signal the end of expiration and onset of inspiration, and may dilate the pharynx in preparation for inspiration.
Reflex control
Vth nerve:
IXth nerve:
Xth nerve:
Vth nerve: afferents from nose and face (irritant)
IXth nerve: from pharynx and larynx (irritant)
Xth nerve: from bronchi and bronchioles (irritant and stretch)
irritant receptors leading to cough, sneezing etc are “defensive”