apneusis: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very Low / TechnicalHighly technical/medical
Quick answer
What does “apneusis” mean?
A pathological breathing pattern characterized by a prolonged, gasping inspiration followed by a short, inadequate expiration.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A pathological breathing pattern characterized by a prolonged, gasping inspiration followed by a short, inadequate expiration.
In neurophysiology, the sustained contraction of the inspiratory muscles caused by a specific lesion to the pons in the brainstem, considered an experimental or pathological state.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No regional differences in usage; the term is identical and identically specialised in both medical/neuroscientific communities.
Connotations
Purely technical, clinical, or experimental. Has no colloquial or figurative connotations.
Frequency
Extremely rare outside highly specialised academic literature or clinical discussions of brainstem pathology.
Grammar
How to Use “apneusis” in a Sentence
The lesion resulted in [apneusis].The experimental preparation exhibited [apneusis].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “apneusis” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The decerebrate cat began to apneustise after the pontine lesion.
American English
- The rat started to apneustize following the experimental transection.
adverb
British English
- The animal breathed apneustically.
American English
- The diaphragm contracted apneustically.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Never used.
Academic
Exclusive to medical/physiological research papers and textbooks, typically in neuroscience or respiratory physiology sections.
Everyday
Never used.
Technical
Used to describe a specific experimental neurological phenomenon or a rare clinical sign of brainstem damage.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “apneusis”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “apneusis”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “apneusis”
- Mispronouncing it as 'ap-nee-ooh-sis' (correctly 'ap-noo-sis' / 'ap-nyoo-sis').
- Confusing it with 'apnea', which is a cessation of breathing, not a prolonged inspiration.
- Attempting to use it in non-technical contexts.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, they are completely different. Sleep apnea involves repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. Apneusis is a sustained, gasping inspiration seen in certain neurological conditions or experiments.
Almost certainly not. It is a highly specialised medical/neuroscientific term. Your general English vocabulary does not require it.
In highly technical writing, derived forms like 'apneustize' or 'apneustise' (UK) might be used, but they are exceptionally rare. The noun form is standard.
There is no direct single-word antonym. The concept is opposed to 'normal rhythmic breathing' or 'eupnea'. In some contexts, 'gasping expiration' or other pathological patterns are different, not opposite.
A pathological breathing pattern characterized by a prolonged, gasping inspiration followed by a short, inadequate expiration.
Apneusis is usually highly technical/medical in register.
Apneusis: in British English it is pronounced /əpˈnjuːsɪs/, and in American English it is pronounced /æpˈnuːsɪs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'APNEA' (absence of breathing) + 'PNEUSIS' (from 'pneustic', related to breathing). Apneusis is a 'stuck' breath in, like apnea but for the in-breath.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE BREATH IS TRAPPED.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'apneusis' most appropriately used?