preBötzinger Complex synchronization dynamics

Pumping air in and out of the lungs requires temporally precise and coordinated activation of several skeletal muscles by neuronal command originating in the brainstem. The anatomical core of breathing is the preBötzinger Complex (preBötC), located in the brainstem, that generates the inspiratory rhythm. The exact mechanisms and signal-processing principles of the circuits underlying the generation and control of breathing patterns remain elusive. Recent experiments suggest that synchronization of preBötC rhythmogenic neurons at low network activity levels is the key to rhythmogenesis. The synchronization and propagation of preBötC activity exhibit attractor dynamics where weak network synchrony fails to propagate to the (pre) motor neurons to drive inspiration. We investigate the roles of network topology, synaptic dynamics, and active dendritic computations in regulating preBötC dynamics.

preBötC dynamics and global breathing rhythm in the brain

Breathing rhythms bind distinct brain regions through modulation of neuronal activity and local field potentials; coordinate with chewing, swallowing, and phonation; regulate behaviors such as whisking, arousal, and as more and more evidence suggests, affect emotion, cognition, and memory. These findings' significance raises the challenge of determining the role of breathing rhythms and the associated mechanisms in such interactions. We aim to investigate how preBötC interacts with and modulates signal processing in distinct brain regions.