Dr. Ralph Fregosi

Professor

Department of Physiology &
Department of Neuroscience

Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison 1985

Office:	93 Gittings 119c
E-mail:	This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Phone:	(520) 621-2203
Fax:	(520) 621-8282

The goal of our research is to understand how the nervous system controls the muscles of breathing. Under this umbrella, our studies are divided into three main areas:

1. We are interested in the role of inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmission in respiratory rhythm generation. Specifically, how these receptors are altered throughout development, and with prenatal nicotine exposure; these studies relate directly to neonatal breathing instability, including the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Studies are done using the in vitro brain stem spinal cord preparation of neonatal rat, and are buttressed by parallel in vivo studies.

2. Neural control of âupper airway musclesâ. These muscles line the external nares, the pharynx and the larynx, and are innervated by cranial nerves. Upper airway muscles control the resistance to airflow through the nasal, pharyngeal and laryngeal airways, which are responsible for regulating airflow resistance; malfunction of these muscles is implicated in diseases such as sleep apnea.

3. Neural control of breathing and pharyngeal geometry in children with sleep disordered breathing.

Selected Recent Publications

. May 2008. Prenatal nicotine exposure and development of nicotinic and fast amino acid-mediated neurotransmission in the control of breathing. Respir Physiol Neurobiol,2008 May 21;

Fregosi RF. Dec 2007. Influence of tongue muscle contraction and dynamic airway pressure on velopharyngeal volume in the rat. J Appl Physiol,2007 Dec 13;

Van Zutphen C, Janssen P, Hassan M, Cabrera R, Bailey EF, Fregosi RF. Nov 2007. Regional velopharyngeal compliance in the rat: influence of tongue muscle contraction. NMR Biomed, 20:682-91

Luo Z, McMullen NT, Costy-Bennett S, Fregosi RF. Aug 2007. Prenatal nicotine exposure alters glycinergic and GABAergic control of respiratory frequency in the neonatal rat brainstem-spinal cord preparation. Respir Physiol Neurobiol, 157:226-34

Iizuka M, Fregosi RF. Aug 2007. Influence of hypercapnic acidosis and hypoxia on abdominal expiratory nerve activity in the rat. Respir Physiol Neurobiol, 157:196-205

Bailey EF Huang YH Fregosi RF. Nov 2006. Anatomic consequences of intrinsic tongue muscle activation. J Appl Physiol, 101:1377-85

Fregosi RF Quan SF Morgan WL Goodwin JL Cabrera R Shareif I Fridel KW Bootzin RR. Sep 2006. Pharyngeal critical pressure in children with mild sleep-disordered breathing. J Appl Physiol, 101:734-9

Displaying 1 - 7 of 67 << first < prev | [1] | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | next > last >>

Professor Department of Physiology & Department of Neuroscience

Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison 1985

Selected Recent Publications

Professor

Department of Physiology &
Department of Neuroscience