Scientists have found a fascinating link between breathing and memory

New research suggests that the natural rhythm of breathing plays an important role in organizing the brain activity required for human memory. The study indicates that successful memory retrieval is linked to the timing of inhalation and exhalation, with specific brain patterns synchronizing to the respiratory cycle. These findings were published in The Journal of Neuroscience.

Scientists have known for some time that respiration serves functions beyond simply supplying oxygen to the body. Previous studies in both animals and humans have demonstrated that breathing can influence brain activity during sleep and wakefulness. For instance, prior research has shown that people tend to identify facial expressions or perceive tactile stimuli more accurately when they are inhaling.

Despite this knowledge, the specific neural mechanisms connecting breathing phases to the conscious recovery of memories have remained less clear. The research team sought to determine if respiration acts as a pacemaker that synchronizes the brain activity required to recall specific associations. They aimed to understand whether the timing of breathing aligns with the replay of neural patterns that represent stored memories.

“Much of memory research has traditionally focused on neural mechanisms within the brain itself. However, growing evidence suggests that bodily rhythms, particularly breathing, can systematically influence brain activity,” explained study author Thomas Schreiner, Emmy Noether Group Leader at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

“While this link had been demonstrated for general brain states, it remained unclear whether respiration also shapes the specific neural processes that support remembering. Our motivation was to address this gap by testing whether different phases of breathing are directly linked to the neural signatures of successful memory retrieval in humans.”

For their study, the researchers analyzed data from 18 healthy participants. The group consisted of 15 females and 3 males, with a mean age of approximately 21 years. The experiment involved two separate sessions spaced about one week apart.

During the initial phase of each session, participants completed a learning task. They were shown verbs, such as “jump,” paired with images of either objects or scenes. The participants were instructed to create a mental image or story linking the verb to the picture. This process created an associative memory, which is a type of memory that links two unrelated items.

Later, the participants underwent a memory test to see how well they had retained the information. During this test, they were presented with the verbs they had seen earlier. They were then asked to recall the associated image and describe it.

While the participants performed these tasks, the scientists recorded their physiological activity. They used electroencephalography, or EEG, to monitor electrical activity in the brain. Simultaneously, they used a thermistor airflow sensor to track the participants’ breathing patterns. This setup allowed the team to precisely match moments of brain activity with specific phases of the respiratory cycle.

The researchers analyzed the data to see if memory performance varied depending on where the participant was in their breathing cycle when the memory cue appeared. They examined the EEG data for specific oscillatory patterns. Oscillations are rhythmic fluctuations in electrical activity, often called brain waves.

The team focused specifically on the alpha and beta frequency bands, which range from roughly 8 to 20 Hertz. In memory research, a decrease in power within these frequency bands is typically a sign that the brain is successfully processing information. The scientists also used a sophisticated computer model to detect “memory reactivation.” This refers to the moment the brain recreates the specific neural pattern associated with the original image.

The results revealed a connection between breathing and memory performance. The researchers found that participants were more likely to successfully remember an image if the cue word appeared while they were inhaling. Specifically, the optimal sequence for memory retrieval appeared to involve inhaling when the cue was presented, followed by exhaling as the brain processed the memory.

“We were struck by how selectively the effects emerged during successful remembering, rather than during unsuccessful retrieval or control conditions,” Schreiner told PsyPost. “This suggests that respiration is not merely influencing general arousal, but is specifically linked to the neural reinstatement of stored information.”

When the scientists looked at the neural data, they found that the brain waves tracked with the breathing cycle. The characteristic decrease in alpha and beta power, which signals successful memory engagement, was modulated by respiration. These power decreases were most prominent around the time of exhalation.

The study also showed that memory reactivation was synchronized with breathing. The neural patterns indicating that the participant was bringing the image back to mind tended to emerge during the exhalation phase. This suggests that while inhalation may be important for taking in the cue, exhalation is the period when the brain effectively reconstructs the memory.

The scientists observed a correlation between the strength of this synchronization and how well individuals performed on the test. Participants who showed a stronger coupling between their breathing rhythm and their brain’s reactivation patterns achieved better memory scores. This implies that the coordination between breath and brain is not random but is functionally relevant for cognitive performance.

These findings provide evidence that respiration may act as a scaffold for episodic memory retrieval. Episodic memory involves the recollection of specific events, situations, and experiences. The data suggests that the respiratory cycle helps coordinate the neural conditions necessary for this complex cognitive process.

“Our results suggest that breathing is not just a background bodily function, but is closely coordinated with brain activity that supports remembering,” Schreiner explained. “In particular, the timing of inhalation and exhalation appears to structure when memory related neural patterns are most effectively reactivated. This highlights that cognitive processes such as memory emerge from tight interactions between the brain and the body, rather than from the brain alone.”

However, the researchers note that while the effects are consistent, they are relatively modest in size. This is typical for physiological influences on complex mental tasks. The study identifies a correlation but does not definitively prove that breathing causes the changes in brain activity. It is possible that a third factor, such as general arousal or attention, influences both respiration and memory simultaneously.

The researchers also point out that the study focused on spontaneous breathing. The current data reflects natural, unconscious physiological coupling rather than the effects of a breathing exercise.

“A key caveat is that our findings do not imply that consciously changing one’s breathing will immediately improve memory performance,” Schreiner noted. “The study focuses on spontaneous breathing and its natural coupling to brain dynamics. Whether deliberate breathing interventions can reliably enhance memory remains an open question.”

Another potential limitation involves the role of eye movements. Recent scientific debates have questioned whether alpha and beta power decreases are partly driven by oculomotor activity. Future studies will need to track eye movements alongside respiration and EEG to disentangle these factors completely.

The research team plans to expand this line of research. “Our core research focus is sleep and memory, and we have previously shown that respiration plays a key role in structuring memory reactivation during sleep. With the present study, we aimed to extend this framework to wakeful remembering,” Schreiner said.

“Going forward, we want to push this work further by understanding how respiratory stability or instability shapes memory consolidation during sleep, and how disruptions of breathing, such as in sleep disordered breathing, may impair memory related neural coordination in aging and clinical populations.”

“More broadly, we hope this work contributes to a growing view of cognition as an embodied process, in which brain function is continuously shaped by physiological rhythms throughout the body.”

The study, “Respiration shapes the neural dynamics of successful remembering in humans,” was authored by Esteban Bullón Tarrasó, Fabian Schwimmbeck, Marit Petzka, Tobias Staudigl, Bernhard P. Staresina, and Thomas Schreiner.