Breathing is fundamentally an involuntary process and is considered one of the most vital rhythms of life. It is the process by which most living organisms inhale oxygen to produce energy at the cellular level and then exhale carbon dioxide as a byproduct of this process. However, humans have known for thousands of years that deep and slow breathing can have a calming effect and reduce stress levels, which can sometimes affect people. Conversely, panic attacks can cause a person to take short and rapid breaths, leading to increased feelings of discomfort.

This medical phenomenon has sparked the interest of many scientists in trying to understand the reason behind the connection between mood and deep breathing. Researchers have found that there are several neural circuits in the brain responsible for regulating the breathing process. However, the exact neural pathway that links breathing to emotional states associated with calmness and anxiety has not yet been precisely identified. As a result, a research team led by Dr. Mark Krasnow, a professor of biochemistry at Stanford University School of Medicine, conducted experiments on mice to locate the main area of the brain that controls breathing rhythms. They discovered that this area is located in a part of the brainstem called the pons.

In a successful experiment that was the culmination of years of work, the researchers were able to identify a group of neurons, totaling 350 cells among millions of other cells, that were responsible for regulating the relationship between breathing and higher-level brain activity, which affects the degree of calmness or tension in daily life. When they removed these cells, they found that the mice continued to breathe normally and were in an unprecedented state of calm.

Based on this discovery, the researchers suggested that this could one day lead to the development of treatments that help people who suffer from anxiety and stress. This is because, sometimes, it can be almost impossible for an individual to control their breathing during panic attacks, which can be detrimental to health. Therefore, a therapeutic approach may be crucial in preventing panic attacks caused by hyperventilation, and the credit for this goes to these studies.