Respiration-Entrained Electrophysiological Activity in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex During Effortful Walking
Author(s)
Gularte, Anna Victoria
Advisor(s)
Alagapan, Sankaraleengam
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Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a region of the brain known to contribute to emotional memory encoding, environmental information processing, error detection, and behavioral response modulation (Sachuriga et al., 2021). Although current scientific literature shows that various physiological patterns can influence activity within the ACC, the nature of the relationship between changes in respiration and activity within the ACC remains unclear. Clarifying how changes in respiratory patterns influence ACC activity can provide insight into how physical exertion and conscious modulation of breath impact activity within the ACC and potential behavioral outputs. To investigate this relationship, EEG activity localized to the ACC and respiratory activity were recorded for 15 human participants. Within each session,
the participant performed six six-minute walking trials, with a four-minute rest period in between. The walking trials were conducted in the order of zero-degree, three-degree, and six-
degree inclines (repeated once). Following data collection, analysis was performed to determine the degree of EEG activity modulation between inclines and within frequency bands
of EEG activity. Statistical analysis revealed that inhalation significantly modulated the high beta frequency band of ACC activity, and exhalation significantly modulated the gamma
frequency band of ACC activity across walking trials. While further research is needed to corroborate the results within this study, findings suggest that respiration patterns may modulate
ACC activity to enhance information processing and environmental adaptation as physical exertion increases. This information not only clarifies the existing dynamic between the ACC and changes in respiratory patterns but also provides a foundation for understanding how
phenomena such as executive dysfunction may arise in individuals diagnosed with mental
illnesses such as major depressive disorder (MDD).
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Undergraduate Research Option Thesis