ALTERATIONS OF RESPIRATORY MOVEMENTS INDUCED BY ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF THE CEREBRAL CORTEX OF THE DOG

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Abstract
There are in the cerebral cortex of the dog definite areas which when electrically stimulated effect specific alterations in the respiratory movements. Stimulation of an area in the lateral part of the ant. sigmoid gyrus produced a marked acceleration of the respiratory rate. Stimulation of an area in the rostral part of the ant. composite gyrus caused either arrest of respiration with the thorax in the expiratory position or a marked slowing of the resp. rate with shallow respirations. Stimulation of an area in the ecto-sylvian gyrus also produced an inhibitory response, but less pronounced than that obtained from the ant. composite gyrus. The acceleratory and inhibitory areas were found in both cerebral hemispheres, and bilateral stimulation had a greater effect than unilateral stimulation. Cytoarchitecturally, the acceleratory area is composed of 2 types of cortex, the precentral agranular frontal type (area 6 of Brodmann) in its medial part and the precentral agranular gigantopyramidal type (area 4) in its lateral part. The cortex of the rostral part of the inhibitory area in the ant. composite gyrus belongs to the precentral agranular frontal type (area 6); the caudal portion appears to be a transition zone between area 6 and the more caudal granular cortex. The inhibitory area in the ectosylvian gyrus was composed of a 6-layered granular cortex. Bilateral section of the vago-sympathetic trunks and the phrenic nerves did not alter the response obtained upon stimulation of the cortical respiratory areas. Therefore, the phrenic and vago-sympathetic nerves are not essential to either response. Apparently the efferent cortical impulses influence, directly or indirectly, the resp. mechanism in the medulla oblongata.

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