- Respiratory drive can be affected by injury to certain parts of the brain. This is often seen in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
- In the setting of TBI, recognizing abnormalities in respirations can be helpful in localizing the injury.
- Cheyne-Stokes respiration, in which breathing is rapid for a period and then absent for a period, is associated with injury to the cerebral hemispheres or diencephalon.
- Hyperventilation can occur when the brain stem or tegmentum is injured.