Coupling of respiration and attention via the locus coeruleus: Effects of meditation and pranayama
Psychophysiology April 22, 2018 Michael Christopher Melnychuk, Paul M Dockree, Redmond G. O'Connell et al. 117 citations
Abstract The locus coeruleus (LC) has established functions in both attention and respiration. Good attentional performance requires optimal levels of tonic LC activity, and must be matched to task consistently. LC neurons are chemosensitive, causing respiratory phrenic nerve firing to increase frequency with higher CO 2 levels, and as CO 2 level varies with the phase of respiration, tonic LC...