Synonyms
Arterially perfused brainstem; Autonomic nervous system; Sympathetic; Parasympathetic; Automatic ventilation; Coupling between cardiovascular and respiratory control systems; Respiratory sinus arrhythmia
Definition
Within the brainstem there are neural circuits that control visceral functions; these are independent of conscious control. One such network regulates the cardiovascular system by controlling autonomic (Nervous System) motor outflow (i.e., sympathetic and parasympathetic) to target organs such as the heart, arterioles and adrenal glands, for example. The activity within this network is, in part, generated from within the central nervous system itself. Part of this originates from the brainstem respiratory rhythm generator which is coupled synaptically to neurons controlling autonomic cardiovascular activity. Another source of excitation comes from sensory peripheral afferents that provide feedback signals. Both the latter as well as centrally generated inputs are...
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References
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank all colleagues who have worked with me on the in situ preparations for their interest, enthusiasm and great fun. My thanks to Professor David Williams and Dr Andrew Allen at the Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne, Australia for assisting with a two photon study. I am in debt to the British Heart Foundation for their generous financial support. I also acknowledge the Royal Society from whom a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award was gleaned.
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Paton, J.F.R. (2009). Central Integration of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Activity Studied In Situ. In: Binder, M.D., Hirokawa, N., Windhorst, U. (eds) Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29678-2_887
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29678-2_887
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