Functional Connectivity Within the Central Autonomic Network Increases During Resonance Paced Breathing at 0.1 Hz.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Within-subject experimental neuroimaging study comparing conditions in a mixed clinical and non-clinical cohort.
PubMed 41731917 · doi:10.1111/psyp.70263
What was done
Researchers measured functional connectivity within the central autonomic network using 3 T fMRI in 147 participants (individuals with depression, substance use disorder, or no diagnosis). Connectivity across 13 a priori regions of interest (ROIs) was compared between brief episodes of natural breathing and resonance paced breathing (RPB, ~6 breaths per minute at 0.1 Hz) using linear mixed modeling with adaptive false discovery rate correction.
What was found
Compared to natural breathing, RPB significantly increased functional connectivity across central autonomic network nodes. A total of 15 ROI pairs showed statistically significant increases in functional connectivity, with 10 of those 15 pairs involving a subdivision of the insular cortex. Specific numerical effect sizes, test statistics, and exact p-values were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This study provides real-time neuroimaging evidence that slow resonance breathing modulates the central autonomic network, identifying the insular cortex as a primary hub linking visceral afferent signals with central emotional and cognitive processing.
Limits
The abstract reports only immediate neural connectivity shifts during brief breathing blocks, omitting long-term clinical or physiological outcomes. Numerical values and subgroup-specific differences across the diagnostic groups (depression, substance use, healthy controls) are not provided.
Cited by
- supports Resonance frequency breathing is typically targeted at 0.1 Hz, corresponding to a 10-second respiratory cycle (6 breaths per minute).