Breathing patterns of monozygous twins during behavioural tasks.

To better understand behavioural and genetic influences upon breathing, the breathing patterns of 8 pairs of monozygous (MZ) twins were measured under 4 behavioural conditions; relaxed without standardisation; eyes closed; eyes open; and reading. Breathing was quantified by inspiratory and expiratory durations (TI, TE), tidal volume (VT) and derived variables. Airflow shape was normalised and quantified using 8 dimensions. Reading caused breathing to increase by > 500 ml/min compared to the other four conditions. Differences in breathing between combinations of two conditions were compared by testing whether the differences within an individual were smaller than the differences between random pairs of individuals from the same 16 subjects. For almost all respiratory variables, and whatever the behavioural condition, there were highly significant similarities within an individual (p < 0.00025 on 32/80 comparisons). Under each condition, the differences within MZ twin-pairs were compared to the differences within random-pairs from the same subject population. There were highly significant similarities within twin-pairs for the airflow shape across all conditions. However, TI, TE and VT failed to consistently show significant similarities within twin pairs. Hence, an individual's airflow shape appears to be a fundamental characteristic which is conserved when behavioural condition and level of ventilation changes. Further, MZ twins have similar airflow shapes--whatever the behavioural situation. Hence, behavioural influences upon airflow shape act upon monozygous twin pairs in similar ways, or such influences were negligible under the conditions of the present study.

[1]  F. Speizer,et al.  Assessment of genetic and nongenetic influences on pulmonary function. A twin study. , 2015, The American review of respiratory disease.

[2]  Y. Kawakami,et al.  Age-related variation of respiratory chemosensitivity in monozygotic twins. , 2015, The American review of respiratory disease.

[3]  Y. Kawakami,et al.  Familial factors affecting arterial blood gas values and respiratory chemosensitivity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. , 2015, The American review of respiratory disease.

[4]  S A Shea,et al.  Personnalité ventilatoire--an overview. , 1992, Respiration physiology.

[5]  Gustave Savourey,et al.  Individuality of breathing patterns during hypoxia and exercise. , 1991, Journal of applied physiology.

[6]  K. Murphy,et al.  Do the changes in respiratory pattern and ventilation seen with different behavioural situations reflect metabolic demands? , 1989, Biological Psychology.

[7]  S A Shea,et al.  Individuality of breathing patterns in adults assessed over time. , 1989, Respiration physiology.

[8]  S A Shea,et al.  The breathing patterns of identical twins. , 1989, Respiration physiology.

[9]  S. Strogatz.  Concepts and formalizations in the control of breathing : G. Benchetrit, P. Baconnier, and J. Demongeot (Eds.), Manchester U.P., 1987, 399 pp., £35.00 , 1988 .

[10]  S A Shea,et al.  The effect of visual and auditory stimuli upon resting ventilation in man. , 1987, Respiration physiology.

[11]  S A Shea,et al.  Evidence for individuality of breathing patterns in resting healthy man. , 1987, Respiration physiology.

[12]  J P Bachy,et al.  A program for cycle-by-cycle shape analysis of biological rhythms. Application to respiratory rhythm. , 1986, Computer methods and programs in biomedicine.

[13]  H. Kusaka,et al.  Trachea and lung dimensions in nonsmoking twins: morphological and functional studies. , 1986, Journal of applied physiology.

[14]  Y. Kawakami,et al.  Pattern of genetic influence on pulmonary function. , 1985, Chest.

[15]  Y. Kawakami,et al.  Chemical and behavioral control of breathing in adult twins. , 1984, The American review of respiratory disease.

[16]  Y. Kawakami,et al.  Control of breathing in young twins. , 1982, Journal of applied physiology: respiratory, environmental and exercise physiology.

[17]  J. Weil,et al.  Hereditary aspects of decreased hypoxic response. , 1978, The Journal of clinical investigation.

[18]  J. Weil,et al.  Hypoventilation in obstructive lung disease. The role of familial factors. , 1978, The New England journal of medicine.

[19]  S. Leeder,et al.  Ventilatory response to carbon dioxide in young athletes: a family study. , 1976, The American review of respiratory disease.

[20]  G. W. Snedecor.  STATISTICAL METHODS , 1967 .

[21]  T. B. Stretton.  Lung Function: Assessment and Application in Medicine, 4th edition, J.E. Cotes. Blackwell Scientific, Berlin (1979), Pp. xii + 605. Price £26.50 , 1981 .

[22]  E. Asmussen,et al.  Regulation of respiration: "The Black Box". , 1977, Acta physiologica Scandinavica.

[23]  V. Klissouras,et al.  Genetic differences in the ventilatory response to inhaled CO2. , 1974, Journal of applied physiology.

[24]  T. Larmi,et al.  [Regulation of respiration]. , 1954, Duodecim; laaketieteellinen aikakauskirja.

[25]  P. Mahalanobis.  On the generalized distance in statistics , 1936 .