Central nervous system modulation of respiratory function in the critically ill.

Neural control of ventilation is exercised at multiple levels and includes an array of sensors and diverse control areas. Abnormalities in the neural control of ventilation are seen in a variety of pathologic states and illnesses commonly seen in critical care. As is common with any complex system, multiple feedback loops work within the system. Interactions between drive and performance are common in mechanically ventilated patients, especially during weaning from the ventilator. Better understanding of these interactions will hopefully lead to better understanding of the common pathologic processes involving control of breathing.