Left (open squares) and right (closed circles) MEP as a function of time for the N2O exchange experiment on Subject 18 (a) and Subject 11 (b) showing the MEP trajectory for the 3 experimental Periods corresponding to breathing: air (0 to 20 minutes), the N2O mixture (20–50 minutes) and air (50–80 minutes). Note that, for Subject 18, the monotonic rise in MEP during Period 2 was relatively uninterrupted until approximately 45 and 50 minutes, while for Subject 11, that Period of increase was associated with repeated interruptions.