Abdominal breathing is a condition in which only the inferior half of the lungs can be seen expanding and contracting with each breath. which of the following would cause abdominal breathing?

damage to the nerves that control the diaphragm
damage to the nerves that control the rib muscles
damage to the medulla oblongata
damage to the respiratory center

The correct answer is - Damage to the nerves that control the diaphragm.

Explanation:

Abdominal breathing is a condition in which inferior half of the lungs can be seen relaxing or contracting and expanding with the breath. This condition occurs due to the various conditions that lead to the respiratory.

It is cause due to the damage to nerves that control the diaphragm. The phrenic nerve is one of the nerve of diaphragm initiates in the neck and passes down.

Thus, the correct answer is - Damage to the nerves that control the diaphragm.

The phrenic nerve is a nerve that originates in the neck (C3–C5) and passes down between the lung and heart to reach the diaphragm.