The studies I have found on breath holding are focused on holding the breath purposely for several minutes. I am looking for studies of unconscious breath holding while concentrating on a task. Popular terms for this kind of breath holding are 'screen apnea' and 'email apnea'. Since the brain requires ten times more oxygen than any other part of the body, it seems counter-productive to hold the breath while concentrating.
I can't speak to this as an expert in this particular physiology, but as a practicing freediver who can hold his breath for five minutes static or three minutes while engaged in activity at depth.
The brain requires much less oxygen to function that we believe. it takes only a small amount of oxygen to fuel the body and mind compared to the 21% we inhale with each breath. Our oxygen delivery system, the blood and cranial fluids, are very robust about delivering a steady flow of oxygen at necessary levels. The body reacts VERY strongly when its gets just the smallest bit low, well before the mind is significantly affected. It will fight harder than just about anything to restart the air flow. So I don't know that it's really counterproductive to hold one's breath while concentration.
BUT...If you're doing research on this, my freediving friends and I would love to find out what you learn! We're always looking for more understanding of this phenomena, since our life depends on it. :)
Similarly, many people stop walking when they concentrate on a very demanding cognitive task. This effect may be regarded as a consequence of dual-task interference, During wakefulness, breathing (which is a, brainstem-controlled activity i.e." automatic" act from a neurological point of view,) may however "consume" a small amount of attentional resources due to its concomitant control by higher central nervous centers (i.e. it is not fully "automatic" from a psychological point of view). Interference occurs when attentional resources are allocated to one task (the cognitive task) to the detriment of the other "task" (breathing). In this situation, the small attentional drive to breathe is abolished, and breathing stops. This may be counter-productive physiologically, but not psychologically, since the maximal amount of resources is allocated to the cognitive task. No risk. Metabolic demands (providing oxygen to the cells and expelling carbon dioxide) rapidly overrides the psychological constraints, long before oxygen deprivation may be harmful, at least in healthy people. There are other interpretations related to emotional influences on breathing.
Bob Prichard did you find any study related to unconscious breath holding? I am lookign for the same particularly during attentional control. Thanks.
Bob Prichard https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-019-0556-z
not exactly but close enough!
Human non-olfactory cognition phase-locked with inhalation
Hi Bob, as for me when that happens it’s when I’m concentrating on a task like reading, typing, listening to a lecture or a video. And at Certain moments "breathing" stop being the automatic or "natural" task any more, it’s almost like I forget To breathe until When my body and mind needs oxygen again or else suffocate. "breathing" then becomes a secondary, less important "thing" to control and spend energy for.
And at that point all of my ressources and attention are Fully available for the other task at hand like in this case, reading, typing...
I'm also very interested in finding research relating to this idea.
Michael Melnychuk in our lab has done some interesting work linking respiration and attention, pinpointing it to oscillations in the locus coeruleus
Preprint Coupling of Respiration and Attention via the Locus Coeruleu...
Would love to read more related studies if anyone knows them.
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