Dorsal Vagal Complex (DVC)

Definition

A collection of three neighboring nuclei in the caudal, dorsomedial medulla oblongata: (i) the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), a viscerosensory nucleus that primarily integrates information from visceral structures such as the gut, the heart, and the lungs, which arrives primarily via the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X); (ii) the area postrema (AP), a circumventricular organ that protrudes into the fourth ventricle atop the NTS, and receives modest input from the vagus nerve; and (iii) the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV, or DMX), which contains cholinergic visceral motor neurons that receive most of their input from the overlying NTS and directly innervate a variety of visceral structures, particularly the gut wall.

Autonomic/Enteric Reflexes

Encyclopedia of Neuroscience