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Fig. 2 | The Journal of Physiological Sciences

Fig. 2

From: The respiratory control mechanisms in the brainstem and spinal cord: integrative views of the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology

Fig. 2

Voltage imaging of the respiratory neuron activity in the ventral medulla of the rostral cut surface. The results are the averages of 40 respiratory cycles triggered by C4 inspiratory activity. a An optical image of the rostral cut surface; its time point is represented by the dotted vertical line on b. b C4 activity and the change in fluorescence at one location (red open circle). The approximate inspiratory phase is indicated by the horizontal blue bar under the C4 trace. c Optical images of respiratory neuron activity. The images are arranged in a time course from left to right and top to bottom, as indicated by the numeric values, where time 0 is a and the subsequent images c correspond to time points represented by the arrows in b. d An image of the cut surface of the rostral medulla at lower magnification. The red square denotes the area of the optical recording. e Nissl staining of the rostral cut surface after the experiment. Note that the photo clearly indicates the facial nucleus (FN) and the ventral cell cluster corresponding to the parafacial respiratory group (pFRG). Note that the optical records show the neuronal activity preceding the inspiratory activity by 500–600 ms in the area ventral to the facial nucleus (i.e., the rostral part of the pFRG). The activity reached its peak immediately before the peak of C4 inspiratory activity and then decreased slightly during the inspiratory phase. After the inspiratory period, the activity continued for 2–3 s during the post-inspiratory phase

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