A device, for the pressure-supported or pressure-controlled ventilation of a patient with reduced spontaneous breathing, has a ventilator unit to supply a breathing air flow composed of cyclical ventilation strokes and a control unit generating a control signal to set a pressure and/or a volume flow of the breathing air flow. An EMG unit generates an EMG signal, which may be used as a basis for generating the control signal as a function of a breath of the patient. A unit for analyzing an EMG signal is provided, which analyzes at least one EMG signal recorded during an already concluded breath of the patient. The control unit is configured such that the ventilator unit control signal can be generated, at least at times, by taking into account the analysis of the EMG signal recorded during an already concluded breath of the patient.
