Many articles in this section of Comprehensive Physiology are concerned with the
development and function of a central pattern generator (CPG) for the control of breathing in�…

Study of acute brain stem slice preparations in vitro has advanced our understanding of the
cellular and synaptic mechanisms of respiratory rhythm generation, but their inherent�…

Bioamines, such as norepinephrine and serotonin are key neurotransmitters implicated in
multiple physiological and pathological brain mechanisms. Evolutionarily, the bioaminergic�…

THREE of the essential variables concerned in the regulation of systemic cardiovascular
performance are cardiac output, blood pressure and the resistance encountered by the�…

Neural networks that produce rhythmic behaviors require flexibility to respond to changes in
the internal and external state of the animal. It is important to not only understand how a�…

Our understanding of the cellular, synaptic and network mechanisms underlying respiratory
rhythm generation in mammals is progressing rapidly as researchers focus on a site�…

Ongoing fluctuations of neuronal activity have long been considered intrinsic noise that
introduces unavoidable and unwanted variability into neuronal processing, which the brain�…

Breathing is generated by a neuronal network located within the caudal brainstem. One area
of particular significance for respiratory rhythm generation is the pre-B�tzinger (preBotC)�…

Neurons depend on aerobic metabolism, yet are very sensitive to oxidative stress and, as a
consequence, typically operate in a low O2 environment. The balance between blood flow�…

The pre-B�tzinger complex (preB�tC) underlies inspiratory rhythm generation. As a result of
network interactions, preB�tC neurons burst synchronously to produce rhythmic premotor�…