The impact of voluntary control of cognitive activity on tolerance of additional respiratory resistance

Abstract

Voluntary control of cognitive activity reflects the purposeful use of attention, thinking, and emotion to achieve a goal. The influence of voluntary control of cognitive activity on tolerance of additional respiratory resistance (ARR) remains poorly understood.

The aim of the study was to determine the influence of voluntary control of cognitive activity on the sensation of shortness of breath, respiratory effort and duration of breathing under ARR conditions.

Materials and Methods: Fifty-eight healthy nonsmoking adults (28 men, 30 women) aged 20 to 26 years (mean age: 21,4 ± 1,4 years) participated in the study. ARR was simulated using the Int. Air. Medical breathing simulator (France). Participants were divided into three groups: a control group of 16 individuals (ARR only); a congruent SCWT (SCWTcongr) + ARR group (22 individuals); and an incongruent SCWT (SCWTincongr) + ARR group (20 individuals). The effective ARR value was 80% Pmmax for 10 minutes. Lung function, dyspnea level, respiratory effort, and ARR tolerance time were studied.

Results: The mean level of registered dyspnea in the SCWTincongr group (8,65 ± 0,84 units, p = 0,032) was higher than in the control (6,83 ± 0,73 units) and SCWTcongr (7,14 ± 0,79 units) groups, which did not differ (p = 0,208) from each other. The time to task failure was shorter in the SCWTincongr group (7,90 ± 0,87 min) than in the control (9,98 ± 1,87 min) and SCWTcongr (9,88 ± 1,83 min) groups (p = 0,021), which did not differ (p = 0,752) from each other. The average values of maximum pressure in the oral cavity during the implementation of ARR 80% Pmmax were lower in the SCWTincongr group (73,3 ± 5,7 cm H₂O) than in the control (84,2 ± 8,1 cm H₂O) and SCWTcongr (85,2 ± 10,3 cm H₂O) groups (p = 0,036), which did not differ (p = 0,325) from each other.

Conclusion: Voluntary control during cognitive testing reduces respiratory effort during ARR, increases dyspnea, and shortens the time to task failure. These results suggest that ARR tolerance is modulated by the state of voluntary control mechanisms.