Respiratory control center

The **respiratory control center**, also known as the respiratory center, is a network of interconnected neuronal groups located in the medulla oblongata and pons of the brainstem[1][4][5][6][7][13]. It comprises the dorsal respiratory group (DRG), ventral respiratory group (VRG) in the medulla, and the pontine respiratory group (including the pneumotaxic and apneustic centers) in the pons[1][3][4][5][7]. These centers generate and regulate the basic rhythm and pattern of breathing by integrating sensory inputs (chemoreceptors and mechanoreceptors), responding to changes in blood gases and pH, and adjusting output to respiratory muscles. The activity of this center is essential for normal, involuntary breathing, and its disruption can result in severe respiratory dysfunction or death. Major drugs that affect these centers include opioids and general anesthetics, primarily through modulation (inhibition) of neuronal activity, which can impair respiratory drive and lead to life-threatening respiratory depression[2][4][13]. This entity is not a single molecule, protein, or receptor, and thus does not fit molecular target conventions used in pharmacology. The term refers to a neuroanatomical and functional center, encompassing numerous neuron subtypes and molecular pathways involved in the generation and modulation of respiratory rhythm.

Other names

Respiratory centerRespiratory control centersMedullary respiratory centerPontine respiratory center

Inhibition or activation of neuronal activity in central respiratory circuits (e.g. opioids suppress activity in the preBötzinger complex, a key site in the respiratory rhythm generator)[2]