How the brain keeps breathing steady
Neural Control of Breathing
Researchers will use lab experiments on brain circuits to learn how breathing rhythms are made and why they fail in conditions like ALS and sleep apnea.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11310733 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses detailed lab work in animals and brain tissue to map the nerve cells and circuits in the brainstem that generate breathing rhythms. Scientists focus on two key areas—the preBötzinger Complex and the retrotrapezoid nucleus/parafacial group—and will record from and manipulate neurons to see how patterns are produced and disrupted. The findings aim to explain why people with disorders such as ALS, Parkinson's, congenital central hypoventilation, and sleep apnea can develop dangerous breathing problems. While the work is done in rodents and lab preparations, it is meant to build a foundation for future patient treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with ALS, sleep-disordered breathing, congenital central hypoventilation, or related brainstem breathing disorders would most directly benefit from advances that come from this work, although the grant itself does not enroll patients.
Not a fit: People with unrelated medical conditions or healthy individuals are unlikely to get direct benefit from this basic science project in the short term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could point to targets for therapies or devices to prevent or reduce breathing failure in diseases like ALS, sleep apnea, and congenital hypoventilation.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory studies have identified key brainstem regions and some neuron types that control breathing, but translating those findings into patient treatments is still early and ongoing.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, United States
- University of California Los Angeles — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Feldman, Jack L — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Feldman, Jack L
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.