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International Immunology Jan 2022The heart is highly innervated by autonomic neurons, and dynamic autonomic regulation of the heart and blood vessels is essential for animals to carry out the normal... (Review)
Review
The heart is highly innervated by autonomic neurons, and dynamic autonomic regulation of the heart and blood vessels is essential for animals to carry out the normal activities of life. Cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure and myocardial infarction, are characterized in part by an imbalance in autonomic nervous system activation, with excess sympathetic and diminished parasympathetic activation. Notably, however, this is often accompanied by chronic inflammation within the cardiovascular tissues, which suggests there are interactions between autonomic dysregulation and inflammation. Recent studies have been unraveling the mechanistic links between autonomic nerves and immune cells within the cardiovascular system. The autonomic nervous system and immune system also act in concert to coordinate the actions of multiple organs that not only maintain homeostasis but also likely play key roles in disease-disease interactions, such as cardiorenal syndrome and multimorbidity. In this review, we summarize the physiological and pathological interactions between autonomic nerves and macrophages in the context of cardiovascular disease.
Topics: Animals; Autonomic Nervous System; Cardiovascular Diseases; Heart; Inflammation; Macrophages
PubMed: 34173833
DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxab036 -
Brain and Nerve = Shinkei Kenkyu No... Mar 2022Epileptic activity that involves the central autonomic system, including the insular lobe, medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray,...
Epileptic activity that involves the central autonomic system, including the insular lobe, medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray, parabrachial complex, nucleus tractus solitarius, and ventrolateral medulla results in seizures with various autonomic manifestations. Some autonomic manifestations suggest localization and lateralization of epileptic foci. The autonomic nervous system modulates cerebral activity under physiological and pathological conditions. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has attracted much attention for treatment of various neurological and psychiatric disorders and is an established palliative care strategy for patients with medically intractable epilepsy. Clinical and experimental studies suggest that VNS stabilizes cerebral cortical activity and inhibits abnormal excitability via pathways including upward vagus nerve conduction, nucleus tractus solitarius, and the thalamus, which consequently produces an anti-epileptic effect.
Topics: Autonomic Nervous System; Cerebral Cortex; Epilepsy; Humans; Medulla Oblongata; Thalamus; Vagus Nerve
PubMed: 35260526
DOI: 10.11477/mf.1416202023 -
Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.) Feb 2020
Topics: Autonomic Nervous System; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases; Brain; Central Nervous System Diseases; Disease Management; Humans
PubMed: 31996618
DOI: 10.1212/01.CON.0000654000.27502.27 -
Cardiovascular Research Jan 2021Our body is continuously in contact with external stimuli that need a fine integration with the internal milieu in order to maintain the homoeostasis. Similarly,... (Review)
Review
Our body is continuously in contact with external stimuli that need a fine integration with the internal milieu in order to maintain the homoeostasis. Similarly, perturbations of the internal environment are responsible for the alterations of the physiological mechanisms regulating our main functions. The nervous system and the immune system represent the main interfaces between the internal and the external environment. In carrying out these functions, they share many similarities, being able to recognize, integrate, and organize responses to a wide variety of stimuli, with the final aim to re-establish the homoeostasis. The autonomic nervous system, which collectively refers to the ensemble of afferent and efferent neurons that wire the central nervous system with visceral effectors throughout the body, is the prototype system controlling the homoeostasis through reflex arches. On the other hand, immune cells continuously patrol our body against external enemies and internal perturbations, organizing acute responses and forming memory for future encounters. Interesting to notice, the integration of the two systems provides a further unique opportunity for fine tuning of our body's homoeostasis. In fact, the autonomic nervous system guides the development of lymphoid and myeloid organs, as well as the deployment of immune cells towards peripheral tissues where they can affect and control several physiological functions. In turn, every specific immune cell type can contribute to regulate neural circuits involved in cardiovascular function, metabolism, and inflammation. Here, we review current understanding of the cross-regulation between these systems in cardiovascular diseases.
Topics: Animals; Autonomic Nervous System; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cardiovascular System; Humans; Immune System; Neuroimmunomodulation; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 32462184
DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvaa151 -
Handbook of Clinical Neurology 2019The evaluation of autonomic function requires indirect assessment of neurophysiologic function using specialized equipment that is often available only at tertiary care... (Review)
Review
The evaluation of autonomic function requires indirect assessment of neurophysiologic function using specialized equipment that is often available only at tertiary care centers, with few specialists available. However, the evaluation of autonomic function is rooted in basic physiology, and the results can be interpreted by careful consideration of the context of the problem. Many automated devices have become widely available to test autonomic function, but they tend to gather inadequate data leading to frequent misdiagnosis and clinical confusion. We review the details necessary for the neurophysiologist to properly perform, and interpret, autonomic function testing.
Topics: Autonomic Nervous System; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases; Humans; Reflex; Sweating; Tilt-Table Test; Valsalva Maneuver
PubMed: 31277866
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-444-64032-1.00028-X -
Handbook of Clinical Neurology 2019The midcingulate cortex (MCC) is viewed as a central node within a large-scale system devoted to adjusting behavior in the face of changing environments. Whereas the... (Review)
Review
The midcingulate cortex (MCC) is viewed as a central node within a large-scale system devoted to adjusting behavior in the face of changing environments. Whereas the role of the MCC in interfacing action and cognition is well established, its role in regulating the autonomic nervous system is poorly understood. Yet, adaptive reactions to novel or threatening situations induce coordinated changes in the sympathetic and the parasympathetic systems. The somatomotor maps in the MCC are organized dorsoventrally. A meta-analysis of the literature reveals that the dorsoventral organization might also concern connections with the autonomic nervous system. Activation of the dorsal and ventral parts of the MCC correlate with recruitments of the sympathetic and the parasympathetic systems, respectively. Data also suggest that, in the MCC, projections toward the sympathetic system are mapped along the sensory-motor system following the same cervico-sacral organization as projections on the spinal cord for skeletal motor control.
Topics: Animals; Autonomic Nervous System; Gyrus Cinguli; Humans
PubMed: 31731925
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-444-64196-0.00004-2 -
Autonomic Neuroscience : Basic &... Sep 2019Insomnia is the most prevalent sleep disorder, particularly among middle and older aged adults, and is associated with a variety of negative health consequences,... (Review)
Review
Insomnia is the most prevalent sleep disorder, particularly among middle and older aged adults, and is associated with a variety of negative health consequences, including higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, the mechanisms linking insomnia with cardiovascular risk remain largely unknown, thus limiting targeted therapeutic interventions. The hyperarousal hypothesis has attracted the most support, positing that insomnia is a result of multisystem over-activation, including sympathetic hyperactivity, which promotes wakefulness and blocks the occurrence of sleep at the desired time. The results from literature in support of this hypothesis are inconclusive and mainly relay on studies that used methods to assess sympathetic activity lacking in specificity and reproducibility. The present review aims at summarizing the primary findings on autonomic nervous system regulation in insomnia while highlighting the advantages and limitations of the methods mainly used to support the increase in sympathetic function in insomnia. Collectively, this review aims to provide novel perspectives on conceptualizing insomnia and suggest innovative approaches to help elucidate the relationship between insomnia and autonomic nervous system activity.
Topics: Autonomic Nervous System; Cardiovascular System; Humans; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders
PubMed: 31331688
DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2019.05.003 -
Current Pharmaceutical Design 2016Myocarditis, which is caused by viral infection, can lead to heart failure, malignant arrhythmias, and even sudden cardiac death in young patients. It is also one of the... (Review)
Review
Myocarditis, which is caused by viral infection, can lead to heart failure, malignant arrhythmias, and even sudden cardiac death in young patients. It is also one of the most important causes of dilated cardiomyopathy worldwide. Although remarkable advances in diagnosis and understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms of viral myocarditis have been gained during recent years, no standard treatment strategies have been defined as yet. Fortunately, recent studies present some evidence that immunomodulating therapy is effective for myocarditis. The immunomodulatory effect of the autonomic nervous system has raised considerable interest over recent decades. Studying the influence on the inflammation and immune system of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems will not only increase our understanding of the mechanism of disease but could also lead to the identification of potential new therapies for viral myocarditis. Studies have shown that the immunomodulating effect of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system is realized by the release of neurotransmitters to their corresponding receptors (catecholamine for α or β adrenergic receptor, acetylcholine for α7 nicotinic acetylcholinergic receptor). This review will discuss the current knowledge of the roles of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system in inflammation, with a special focus on their roles in viral myocarditis.
Topics: Animals; Autonomic Nervous System; Humans; Myocarditis; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; Receptors, Cholinergic; Virus Diseases
PubMed: 26696254
DOI: 10.2174/1381612822666151222160810 -
Clinical Autonomic Research : Official... Jun 2019Multiple sclerosis is characterized by a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, among which dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system represents an important cause... (Review)
Review
Multiple sclerosis is characterized by a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, among which dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system represents an important cause of multiple sclerosis-related disability. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of autonomic dysfunction in people with multiple sclerosis, and to discuss the interactions between the immune and autonomic nervous systems and the effects of these interactions on various aspects of multiple sclerosis. Autonomic dysfunction in people with multiple sclerosis can be demonstrated clinically and on a molecular level. Clinically, it can be demonstrated by measuring autonomic symptoms with the Composite Autonomic Symptom Score (COMPASS-31), and neurophysiologically, with different autonomic nervous system tests. Both symptomatic and objectively determined autonomic dysfunction can be associated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis disease activity. Further supporting these clinical observations are molecular changes in immune cells. Changes in the sympathetic autonomic system, such as different expression of dopaminergic and adrenergic receptors on immune cells, or modulation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway over different subunits of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in the peripheral immune system, may mediate different effects on multiple sclerosis disease activity.
Topics: Animals; Autonomic Nervous System; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases; Humans; Immune System; Immune System Diseases; Multiple Sclerosis
PubMed: 30963343
DOI: 10.1007/s10286-019-00605-z -
Clinical Autonomic Research : Official... Aug 2017The most important autonomic function test-the autonomic medical history-is the patient's account, interpreted by a clinician skilled in asking the right questions, of... (Review)
Review
The most important autonomic function test-the autonomic medical history-is the patient's account, interpreted by a clinician skilled in asking the right questions, of symptoms during daily activities that relate to the autonomic nervous system. The chronology and pattern of these symptoms combine to create a portrait of autonomic function or dysfunction. We summarize the steps in obtaining a comprehensive autonomic medical history.
Topics: Autonomic Nervous System; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases; Humans; Medical History Taking; Patients
PubMed: 28551871
DOI: 10.1007/s10286-017-0425-7