Hingamiskeskust

Hingamiskeskust is a term commonly used in Finnish to refer to the breathing center, the neural network that regulates respiration. In clinical and physiological contexts, the breathing center denotes the brainstem structures that generate the rhythmic pattern of breathing and adjust it to metabolic needs.

Anatomy and physiology: In humans, the primary respiratory centers lie in the brainstem, especially the medulla oblongata and the pons. The dorsal respiratory group, located in the nucleus tractus solitarius, mainly drives inspiration. The ventral respiratory group, including neurons in the nucleus ambiguus and adjacent regions, contributes to both inspiration and expiration, particularly during high demand. The pontine group, sometimes called the pneumotaxic and apneustic centers, modulates the rhythm and transitions between phases. Together they produce a baseline respiratory rhythm and adjust rate and depth in response to chemical and mechanical inputs.

Regulation: The breathing center receives chemical input from central chemoreceptors that sense pH changes in the cerebrospinal fluid, largely driven by CO2 levels. Peripheral chemoreceptors in the carotid and aortic bodies respond to hypoxemia (low O2) and hypercapnia (high CO2). Proprioceptive inputs from muscles and receptors in the chest wall also influence breathing during activity. The cortex and limbic system can voluntarily alter breathing, but this effect is limited and overridden by brainstem mechanisms during sleep.

Clinical relevance: Disruption or disease affecting the hingamiskeskust can lead to abnormal breathing patterns, such as central sleep apnea or hypoventilation syndromes. Drugs that depress brainstem activity, including certain opioids, can blunt respiratory drive.