Grant: Operating Grant - PA: ICRH - New investigators (Bridge Funding)

Breathing is essential for human life after birth. Premature and newborn infants often exhibit breathing difficulties, especially during sleep, when they may display long pauses in breathing, called apneas, and a very irregular breathing pattern. If not managed, these disturbances may be life-threatening and can lead to severe long-term health consequences. In this research study we will investigate breathing in both infants and animal models to determine the contribution of expiration (breathing out) to ventilation, especially during sleep or in the context of breathing disorders. We hypothesize that active recruitment of expiratory activity is important for maintaining adequate ventilation, in particular during sleep, when the majority of respiratory disturbances occur. We will investigate recruitment of expiratory muscles across different sleep states in infants and in rodents (in presence or absence of experimentally induced breathing disturbances). The results of this study will help understand how expiration is controlled, its influence on ventilation and start to consider new approaches for treating sleep disordered breathing.