The Uniqueness of Breath

Fingerprints, genes, and gut bacteria are among the many things that make every human unique. 

Now, scientists at the Weizmann Institute in Israel have discovered that each person’s breathing pattern is one-of-a-kind and can serve as a biological identifier. 

In a novel study, the research team developed a lightweight, wearable device that continuously tracked airflow through the nostrils of 100 healthy young adults for 24 hours.  

The research originally began as a side project in their olfaction lab – studying how the brain processes smells – but became a project on “respiratory fingerprints.” 

“You would think that breathing has been measured and analyzed in every way,” senior author Noam Sobel said in a statement. “Yet we stumbled upon a completely new way to look at respiration. We consider this as a brain readout.” 

Sobel and his colleagues found that individuals could be identified with nearly 97 percent accuracy from their breathing, with each person’s breath having a distinct rhythm and structure. 

“I thought it would be really hard to identify someone because everyone is doing different things, like running, studying or resting” said co-author Timna Soroka. “But it turns out their breathing patterns were remarkably distinct.” 

But the findings also showed that these respiratory fingerprints provide a profile of the individuals, including their body mass index, anxiety and depression levels, and even behavioral traits. 

For example, participants with self-reported anxiety issues showed shorter inhalations and more irregular pauses in their sleep breathing patterns.  

“We expected to be able to identify individuals,” Soroka told ScienceAlert, “but not that it would be so strong.” 

The authors explained that the study proves that breathing isn’t just about oxygen but is also tied to our brain activity and emotional health.  

Further research on respiratory fingerprints could lead to new methods to help diagnose or even treat physical and mental health conditions in the future, they added. 

“We can learn how specific breathing patterns may predict various diseases,” Soroka told ScienceAlert. “But of course, in the future we will examine whether we can also treat disease by modifying respiratory patterns.”