Accessing spinal network to enable respiratory function

A method of improving, and/or regulating, and/or restoring respiration in a subject with a respiratory deficiency, said method comprising:

• administering, via at least one electrode placed on a dorsal spinal cord of the subject, epidural stimulation to the dorsal spinal cord using a stimulation selected to cause neuromodulation of interneurons of the dorsal spinal cord to generate a respiratory rhythm caused by a firing pattern of a respiratory central pattern generation (CPG), wherein the respiratory rhythm is caused by an activated respiratory drive of the subject;
• receiving at least one of an O2 saturation, an end tidal CO2, a heart rate, and a tidal volume of the subject using one or more sensors;
• and
• adjusting at least one of a pulse amplitude, a pulse-width, a pulse frequency, and a duty cycle of said epidural stimulation based on the at least one of the O2 saturation, the end tidal CO2, the heart rate, and the tidal volume to provide a desired tidal volume, O2 saturation, and end tidal CO2.