Respiratory rhythmicity after extensive lesions of the dorsal and ventral respiratory groups in the decerebrate cat.

It was previously demonstrated that extensive destruction of the regions of the dorsal (DRG) and rostral portions of the ventral respiratory groups (VRG) in the medulla does not disrupt respiratory rhythmicity in the anesthetized cat. The present experiments examined if either higher CNS structures or the caudal expiratory VRG might have been responsible for preserving rhythm in those studies. Results indicate that the DRG and VRG are not required for respiratory rhythmicity in the midcollicularly decerebrated cat.