Most of the time, people breathe automatically, without conscious thought.
But the rate and depth of breathing is actually regulated by a complex system in the brainstem that processes information from sensors detecting everything from movement to lung irritants to oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. And given that every brain is unique, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel hypothesized that breathing patterns may also be unique.
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To find out, they fit 97 people with nasal devices to track their breath patterns for up to 24 hours. They were able to identify people from just their airflow patterns nearly 97% of the time.
These "breath prints" – similar in concept to fingerprints – are at least as accurate as voice recognition, according to the study, published earlier this month in the journal Current Biology.
"We expected to be able to identify individuals, but not that it would be so strong," said brain scientist Timna Soroka, who led the study.
The breath prints proved to be consistent over time. When about 40 of the people in the study returned months later and then again two years afterward, the researchers could identify them through their breath prints with similar accuracy.
The breath patterns were even sensitive enough that they revealed information about physiology, such as people's body mass indexes. The researchers also found correlations between breathing patterns and anxiety, depression and autism.
Further research may show whether specific breathing patterns may be predictors for certain diseases and whether modifying respiratory patterns may treat disease, the researchers said.