Puzzled by dysfunctional breathing disorder(s)? Consider the Bayesian brain hypothesis!

Abstract

There is currently growing clinical concern regarding dysfunctional breathing disorder(s) (DBD), an umbrella term for a set of multidimensional clinical conditions that are characterized by altered breathing pattern associated with a variety of intermittent or chronic symptoms, notably dyspnea, in the absence or in excess of, organic disease. However, several aspects of DBD remain poorly understood and/or open to debate, especially the inconsistent relationship between the array of experienced symptoms and their supposedly underlying mechanisms. This may be partly due to a more general problem, i.e., the prevailing way we conceptualize symptoms. In the present article, after a brief review of the different aspects of DBD from the current perspective, I submit a call for considering DBD under the innovating perspective of the Bayesian brain hypothesis, i.e., a potent and novel model that fundamentally changes our views on symptom perception.

Dysfunctional Breathing in Children: A Literature Review

“…The inconsistent correlation between the range of symptoms experienced and their presumably underlying mechanisms in DB remains poorly comprehended due to the prevailing conceptualization of symptoms. This presents a broader challenge in understanding DB [34]. Differentiating symptoms associated with DB from those arising due to other causes is crucial.…”