Amalia Callado Pérez, Maxime Demers, Arash Fassihi, Jeffrey D Moore, David Kleinfeld, Martin Deschênes
The brainstem houses neuronal circuits that control homeostasis of vital functions. These include the depth and rate of breathing1 , 2 and, critically, apnea, a transient cessation of breathing that prevents noxious vapors from entering further into the respiratory tract. Current thinking is that this reflex is mediated by two sensory pathways. One known pathway involves vagal and glossopharyngeal afferents that project to the nucleus of the solitary tract.3 , 4 , 5 Yet, apnea induced by electrical stimulation of the nasal epithelium or delivery of ammonia vapors to the nose persists after brainstem transection at the pontomedullary junction, indicating that the circuitry that mediates this reflex is intrinsic to the medulla...
September 5, 2023: Current Biology: CB