Heringâ€“Breuer reflex

The Hering-Breuer reflex or lung stretch reflex is the reflex limitation of inspiration, when the expansion of the lung exceeds a certain level. The Lungendehnungsafferenzen run it in the vagus nerve. By reflex inhibition of inspiratory neurons of the respiratory center overexpansion of the alveoli (alveoli ) is prevented and the work of breathing ergonomically designed ( by initiating an expiration). The Hering-Breuer reflex does not serve the maintenance of a rhythmic spontaneous breathing, it helps with the respiratory depth adapting respective conditions.

Current clinical significance of the Hering-Breuer reflex has in the treatment of sleep apnea syndrome. This is often (most often nCPAP ) treated with a hyperbaric therapy to keep the collapsing throat open. It comes in the lung to increased pressures that the Hering-Breuer reflex triggers in a subset of patients and reflex inhibition of the respiratory center leads ( central apnea ).

The Hering-Breuer reflex is named after its discoverers, the Austrian internist Josef Breuer and the Austrian physiologist Heinrich Ewald Hering.