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September 4, 2026PLoS BiologyOpen Access

No evidence for modulation of the readiness potential by respiratory phase during natural breathing

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Why the study?

Recent studies reported coupling between respiratory phase and the cortical readiness potential, but whether breathing truly modulates neural processes preceding voluntary action remained unclear.

Population

Humans undergoing electroencephalography recordings and simulated data

Comparison

Trials grouped by respiratory phase controlling for movement onset vs original uncontrolled analysis

Design

Re-analysis of original dataset, new independent dataset, and simulated data

Key result

Respiratory phase does not directly modulate readiness potential amplitude during spontaneous behavior, as Bayesian analyses provide evidence for the absence of an effect under natural breathing.

Authors

LJLucas Jeay-BizotRCRaniyah ChishtiUMUri Maoz

Discussion

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Overview

No respiratory modulation of readiness potential under natural breathing; challenges prior coupling reports as artifacts and leaves open paced-breathing effects.

Key Points

  • To determine whether the respiratory phase directly modulates the cortical readiness potential preceding voluntary action or if previous findings stem from methodological confounds.
  • Analyzed electroencephalography (EEG) data from a previously published dataset alongside a new independent human dataset under natural breathing conditions.
  • Generated simulated datasets with no coupling to evaluate whether standard phase-amplitude coupling analyses produce spurious associations in epoched data.
  • Grouped EEG trials by respiratory phase at the exact time of movement onset and conducted Bayesian analyses across datasets.
  • Identified that reported respiratory-readiness potential coupling is a spurious artifact arising because both neural amplitude and respiratory phase independently align with movement onset.
  • Eliminated the apparent phase-amplitude coupling in both empirical datasets when controlling for movement onset, mirroring findings in simulated null data.
  • Bayesian analyses confirmed robust evidence supporting the absence of readiness potential modulation by natural respiratory phase.

Study Design

Type

Observational

Structured PICO

P
Population
Humans (EEG recordings) and simulated data
E
Exposure
Grouping trials by respiratory phase at the time of movement to control for shared dependencies
C
Comparator
Original analysis method (not controlling for dependency)
O
Outcome
Coupling between respiratory phase and cortical readiness potential (RP) amplitudesurrogate

The study refutes previous claims that respiratory phase modulates the cortical readiness potential, demonstrating that the apparent coupling was due to a methodological confound.

Cite This Study

Jeay-Bizot et al. (2026) reported an observational. Respiratory phase was evaluated on Cortical readiness potential (RP) amplitude. Respiratory phase does not directly modulate readiness potential amplitude during spontaneous behavior, as Bayesian analyses provide evidence for the absence of an effect under natural breathing.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9a862b5d9e33f25c631be2https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3003982
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1The breathing brain: The potential of neural oscillations for the understanding of respiratory perception in health and disease2021 · 32 citations
  2. 2Functional MRI localisation of central nervous system regions associated with volitional inspiration in humans1999 · 154 citations
  3. 3Slow ramping emerges from spontaneous fluctuations in spiking neural networks2024 · 10 citations
  4. 4Depth and phase of respiration modulate cortico-muscular communication2020 · 77 citations
  5. 5Respiration modulates oscillatory neural network activity at rest2021 · 156 citations