Figure 1.

Multi-mechanism intervention pathways of wind instrument training based on breathing rhythm control and upper airway muscle strengthening.

Note: Legend. Arrows indicate proposed information flow: respiratory control (paced inhalation → prolonged exhalation) → acoustic output (self-generated tone) → auditory pathway (cochlea → brainstem nuclei → auditory cortex) with limbic appraisal (amygdala/anterior cingulate) → autonomic regulation (vagal efferents/HRV stabilisation) → reduced arousal/anxiety and improved sleep continuity; parallel pathway: upper-airway muscle training → reduced collapsibility and snoring risk in susceptible individuals. Abbreviations: HRV, heart-rate variability; OSA, obstructive sleep apnoea. Suggested labels on the diagram: ‘Breath control’, ‘Self-generated sound’, ‘Auditory–limbic processing’, ‘Vagal/HRV’, ‘Upper-airway tone’ and directional arrows linking each node.