One of the purposes of modelling the control of breathing is to improve our understanding of how the system works, so new effective therapies can be developed. Current therapies, e.g. surgery, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and dental devices for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), are often uncomfortable and sometimes poorly tolerated. In a recent issue of The Journal of Physiology, Edwards et at. (2012) report the results of an interesting experiment in which they used acetazolamide to reduce the severity of OSA, in a group of 12 volunteers who were known to be compliant users of CPAP therapy. They used the modelling concept of'loop gain' to explain the benefits of acetazolamide.
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