HMH Scientists Decode Brain-Breathing Rhythms in Sleep

Researchers find brain activity and breathing patterns become more independent during deep sleep

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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A team of scientists from Hackensack Meridian Health's Center for Discovery and Innovation have published a new study in The Journal of Neuroscience that provides new insights into how brain activity and breathing rhythms interact during different sleep stages and wakefulness. The researchers measured the sleep cycles of mice, comparing electrical brain activity and breathing patterns, and found that during the deepest non-REM sleep, breathing becomes more independent from brain waves, especially the "slow delta" activity that characterizes the deepest part of slumber.

Why it matters

Understanding the relationship between brain activity and breathing rhythms during sleep could lead to new insights into the mechanisms underlying sleep and conditions like Parkinson's disease, where both sleep and respiration are commonly disrupted.

The details

The study, led by CDI author Bon-Mi Gu, Ph.D., also of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, focused on the basal ganglia, clusters of neurons responsible for motor control and other roles. The researchers were particularly interested in the substantia nigra, which controls movements and produces dopamine. They found that the strength of the coupling between respiration and neural activity varied across different states, including non-REM sleep, REM sleep, quiet wakefulness, and anesthesia, and was directly related to delta power, a hallmark of non-REM sleep.

  • The study was published in The Journal of Neuroscience in January 2026.

The players

Bon-Mi Gu, Ph.D.

CDI author and researcher at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.

Kolsoum Dehdar, Ph.D.

Researcher on the study team.

Elliot Neuberg

Researcher on the study team.

Hackensack Meridian Health

The health system that includes the Center for Discovery and Innovation where the research was conducted.

Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI)

The research center at Hackensack Meridian Health where the study was conducted.

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What they’re saying

“In this study, we provide the first detailed characterization of respiration-neural coupling across multiple states - including quiet wakefulness, non-REM sleep, REM sleep, and anesthesia - in the substantia nigra and the primary motor cortex, two regions not previously studied in this context.”

— Study authors (The Journal of Neuroscience)

“The strength of respiration-neural coupling varied across multiple states, including NREM sleep, REM sleep, quiet wakefulness, and anesthesia, and was directly related to the delta power, a hallmark of NREM sleep.”

— Study authors (The Journal of Neuroscience)

“These findings provide new insights into how internal brain states interact with peripheral rhythms like respiration, with important functional implications for both sleep and anesthesia.”

— Study authors (The Journal of Neuroscience)

“Furthermore, elucidating the mechanisms underlying respiration-neural coupling, especially within basal ganglia circuits, will shed light on the pathophysiology of conditions such as Parkinson's disease, where both sleep and respiration are commonly disrupted.”

— Study authors (The Journal of Neuroscience)

What’s next

The researchers plan to further investigate the mechanisms underlying the relationship between brain activity and breathing rhythms, with the goal of improving understanding of sleep disorders and neurological conditions like Parkinson's disease.

The takeaway

This study provides important new insights into the complex interplay between the brain and respiratory systems during different sleep stages, which could lead to breakthroughs in our understanding of sleep and associated neurological disorders.