Heart rate variability (HRV), the beat-to-beat alterations in heart rate, comprises sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve activities of the heart. HRV analysis is used to quantify cardiac autonomic regulation. Since respiration could be a confounding factor in HRV evaluation, some studies recommend consciously controlled breathing to standardize the method. However, it remains unclear whether c...

Previous experiments on voluntary breathing have suggested that spontaneous breathing is partly determined by the minimization of respiratory sensations. However, during instructed breathing, respiratory sensations may be confounded with difficulty in achieving the prescribed pattern. In the present experiment, we tested the hypothesis that the subjective assessment of respiratory comfort and t...

Previous research has suggested a relationship between low-frequency power of heart rate variability (HRV; LF in normalized units, LFnu) and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA). However, investigations have not systematically controlled for breathing, which can modulate both HRV and MSNA. Accordingly, the aims of this experiment were to investigate the possibility of parallel responses in ...

Spontaneous pneumothorax is the most common cause of pneumothorax. We report a case of a 29-year-old healthy woman who presented to the emergency department with a spontaneous pneumothorax caused by a yoga breathing technique called Kapalabhati pranayama, or breath of fire. Yoga breathing exercises are commonly practiced, and a limited number of studies have shown various physiologic benefits o...

STUDY OBJECTIVE To assess abnormalities in thoracoabdominal pattern of breathing (TAPB) in neuromuscular disorders during spontaneous breathing, intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) with and without abdominal (AB) binder, and immediately after IPPV. DESIGN Repeated measures design: Pre-IPPV spontaneous breathing, IPPV, IPPV with AB binder, and post-IPPV spontaneous breathing. In ...