Brain activation during volitional control of breathing

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to demonstrate the br ain activation during volitional control of breathing in nine healthy human subjects. This type of breathing was induced by acoustic stimuli dictating the respiratory frequency. During the period of dictated breathing not onl y the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, but also the parietal lobes were bilaterally activated. The frontal lobe was activated bilaterally in a ll subjects, with frequent activation of Brodmann areas 4 and 6. In the par ietal lobe, activation could mostly be demonstrated in gyrus postcentralis and the same was true for area 22 in the temporal lobe.