A brain circuit connecting the cortex, pons, and medulla coordinates breathing with emotional states. Activating this circuit in mice reduced anxiety and slowed breathing, mimicking mindfulness ...

For example, when the medulla is active, it initiates breathing. However, messages coming down from the pons actually inhibit activity in the medulla, leading breathing rates to slow down.

The pons is a region in the brain stem containing nerve fibers that connect the medulla oblongata to the cerebellum. In individuals with locked-in syndrome, damage to the pons blocks nerve ...

The inner regions of the brain closer to incoming blood flow (pons/medulla, thalamus, and hypothalamus) contained consistently higher concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and several ...