Cje. Wientjes et al., INFLUENCE OF DRIVE AND TIMING MECHANISMS ON BREATHING PATTERN AND VENTILATION DURING MENTAL TASK-PERFORMANCE, Biological psychology, 49(1-2), 1998, pp. 53-70
Assessment of multiple respiratory measures may provide insight into h
ow behavioral demands affect the breathing pattern. This is illustrate
d by data from a study among 44 subjects, in which tidal volume, respi
ration rate? minute ventilation and indices of central drive and timin
g mechanisms were assessed via inductive plethysmography, in addition
to end-tidal PCO2. After a baseline, three conditions of a memory comp
arison task were presented. The first two conditions differed only wit
h regard to the presence or absence of feedback of performance (NFB an
d FB). In the third 'all-or-nothing' (AON) condition, subjects only re
ceived a monetary bonus, if their performance exceeded that of the pre
vious two conditions. Minute ventilation increased from baseline to al
l task conditions, and from NFB and FB to AON. Respiration rate increa
sed in all task conditions, but there were no differences between task
conditions. Tidal volume decreased during NFB: but was equal to basel
ine during FB and AON. Of the respiratory control indices, inspiratory
how rate covaried much more closely with minute ventilation than duty
cycle. The task performance induced a minor degree of hyperventilatio
n. The discussion focusses on how behavioral demands affect respirator
y control processes to produce alterations in breathing pattern and ve
ntilation. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.