Cheyne-Stokes respiration is associated with dysfunction of which brain regions?

• A. Frontal lobe and diencephalon.
• B. Lower midbrain.
• C. Cerebellum.
• D. Medulla.

Answer: (A)

Cheyne-Stokes respiration reflects impaired regulation of breathing from forebrain structures, not the brainstem. When the frontal lobes and diencephalon are dysfunctional, the higher centers that modulate the ventilatory response to CO2 and O2 lose stable control, producing a cyclical pattern of increasing and decreasing tidal volume followed by brief pauses. The brainstem centers in the medulla and pons may be intact, but their input becomes unstable because the forebrain input is faulty. This forebrain disruption best fits the pattern seen with frontal lobe and diencephalon dysfunction, whereas brainstem lesions (lower midbrain or medulla) tend to produce different, more irregular or gasping patterns.