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Pediatric Research Jan 2019The central autonomic nervous system (ANS) is essential for maintaining cardiovascular and respiratory homeostasis in the newborn and has a critical role in supporting... (Review)
Review
The central autonomic nervous system (ANS) is essential for maintaining cardiovascular and respiratory homeostasis in the newborn and has a critical role in supporting higher cortical functions. At birth, the central ANS is maturing and is vulnerable to adverse environmental and physiologic influences. Critical connections are formed early in development between the ANS and limbic system to integrate psychological and body responses. The Polyvagal Theory, developed by Stephen Porges, describes how modulation of the autonomic vagal impulse controls social responses and that a broad range of neuropsychiatric disorders may be due to impaired vagal balance, with either deficient vagal tone or excessive vagal reactivity. Under additional circumstances of prematurity, growth restriction, and environmental stress in the fetus and newborn, the immature ANS may undergo "dysmaturation". Maternal stress and health as well as the intrauterine environment are also quite important and have been implicated in causing ANS changes in the infant and neuropsychiatric diseases in children. This review will cover the aspects of ANS development and maturation that have been associated with neuropsychiatric disorders in children.
Topics: Autonomic Nervous System; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases; Child; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Mental Disorders; Risk Factors; Vagus Nerve
PubMed: 30166644
DOI: 10.1038/s41390-018-0155-0 -
The Interplay between Autonomic Nervous System and Inflammation across Systemic Autoimmune Diseases.International Journal of Molecular... Feb 2022The autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the immune system are deeply interrelated. The ANS regulates both innate and adaptive immunity through the sympathetic and... (Review)
Review
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the immune system are deeply interrelated. The ANS regulates both innate and adaptive immunity through the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches, and an imbalance in this system can determine an altered inflammatory response as typically observed in chronic conditions such as systemic autoimmune diseases. Rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and systemic sclerosis all show a dysfunction of the ANS that is mutually related to the increase in inflammation and cardiovascular risk. Moreover, an interaction between ANS and the gut microbiota has direct effects on inflammation homeostasis. Recently vagal stimulation techniques have emerged as an unprecedented possibility to reduce ANS dysfunction, especially in chronic diseases characterized by pain and a decreased quality of life as well as in chronic inflammation.
Topics: Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Autoimmune Diseases; Autonomic Nervous System; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases; Humans; Inflammation; Quality of Life; Sympathetic Nervous System
PubMed: 35269591
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052449 -
Circulation Research Apr 2014Autonomic nervous system activation can induce significant and heterogeneous changes of atrial electrophysiology and induce atrial tachyarrhythmias, including atrial... (Review)
Review
Autonomic nervous system activation can induce significant and heterogeneous changes of atrial electrophysiology and induce atrial tachyarrhythmias, including atrial tachycardia and atrial fibrillation (AF). The importance of the autonomic nervous system in atrial arrhythmogenesis is also supported by circadian variation in the incidence of symptomatic AF in humans. Methods that reduce autonomic innervation or outflow have been shown to reduce the incidence of spontaneous or induced atrial arrhythmias, suggesting that neuromodulation may be helpful in controlling AF. In this review, we focus on the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and the pathophysiology of AF and the potential benefit and limitations of neuromodulation in the management of this arrhythmia. We conclude that autonomic nerve activity plays an important role in the initiation and maintenance of AF, and modulating autonomic nerve function may contribute to AF control. Potential therapeutic applications include ganglionated plexus ablation, renal sympathetic denervation, cervical vagal nerve stimulation, baroreflex stimulation, cutaneous stimulation, novel drug approaches, and biological therapies. Although the role of the autonomic nervous system has long been recognized, new science and new technologies promise exciting prospects for the future.
Topics: Action Potentials; Animals; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Atrial Fibrillation; Atrial Function; Autonomic Denervation; Autonomic Nervous System; Catheter Ablation; Heart Atria; Humans; Risk Factors; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 24763467
DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.114.303772 -
American Journal of Pharmaceutical... Aug 2007This manuscript discusses the physiology of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The following topics are presented: regulation of activity; efferent pathways;... (Review)
Review
This manuscript discusses the physiology of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The following topics are presented: regulation of activity; efferent pathways; sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions; neurotransmitters, their receptors and the termination of their activity; functions of the ANS; and the adrenal medullae. In addition, the application of this material to the practice of pharmacy is of special interest. Two case studies regarding insecticide poisoning and pheochromocytoma are included. The ANS and the accompanying case studies are discussed over 5 lectures and 2 recitation sections during a 2-semester course in Human Physiology. The students are in the first-professional year of the doctor of pharmacy program.
Topics: Autonomic Nervous System; Curriculum; Education, Pharmacy; Humans
PubMed: 17786266
DOI: 10.5688/aj710478 -
Revista de NeurologiaThe autonomic nervous system (ANS) is made up of a complex set of neurons and pathways that control the functioning of the different body systems within the organism.... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is made up of a complex set of neurons and pathways that control the functioning of the different body systems within the organism. Its overall function is that of maintaining a state of homeostasis in the organism and of performing the adaptation responses when faced with changes in the external and internal environment.
METHODS
The ANS is composed of visceral afferent pathways, integration centres at the brain stem, hypothalamus and cerebral cortex levels, as well as sympathetic and parasympathetic efferent pathways. The efferent pathways innerve the cardiac muscle, the smooth muscle and the exocrine and endocrine glands, while the afferent pathways are arranged in two patterns: oligosynaptic circuits, which mediate reflex adaptation responses of the visceral systems, and complex circuits, with projections to nuclei in the brain stem and the brain, where the information is collected and responses are produced that affect numerous systems. The afferent signals activate or inhibit the efferent components of the ANS by means of reflex pathways, independently of the will. These reflex circuits are also modulated by means of signals from central structures, and constitute a central autonomic neuronal network that integrates somatic, autonomic and affective responses.
CONCLUSION
Dysfunctions of the ANS are possibly due to increases or decreases in autonomic control activity, which can appear because of lesions to the brain, spinal cord or peripheral nerves.
Topics: Autonomic Denervation; Autonomic Nervous System; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases; Autonomic Pathways; Baroreflex; Body Temperature Regulation; Humans; Neurotransmitter Agents; Parasympathetic Nervous System; Sympathetic Nervous System; Visceral Afferents
PubMed: 12389173
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of Parkinson's Disease 2019Parkinson's disease (PD) is a highly heterogeneous disorder, which probably consists of multiple subtypes. Aggregation of misfolded alpha-synuclein and propagation of... (Review)
Review
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a highly heterogeneous disorder, which probably consists of multiple subtypes. Aggregation of misfolded alpha-synuclein and propagation of these proteinacious aggregates through interconnected neural networks is believed to be a crucial pathogenetic factor. It has been hypothesized that the initial pathological alpha-synuclein aggregates originate in the enteric or peripheral nervous system (PNS) and invade the central nervous system (CNS) via retrograde vagal transport. However, evidence from neuropathological studies suggests that not all PD patients can be reconciled with this hypothesis. Importantly, a small fraction of patients do not show pathology in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. Here, it is hypothesized that PD can be divided into a PNS-first and a CNS-first subtype. The former is tightly associated with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) during the prodromal phase and is characterized by marked autonomic damage before involvement of the dopaminergic system. In contrast, the CNS-first phenotype is most often RBD-negative during the prodromal phase and characterized by nigrostriatal dopaminergic dysfunction prior to involvement of the autonomic PNS. The existence of these subtypes is supported by in vivo imaging studies of RBD-positive and RBD-negative patient groups and by histological evidence- reviewed herein. The present proposal provides a fresh hypothesis-generating framework for future studies into the etiopathogenesis of PD and seems capable of explaining a number of discrepant findings in the neuropathological literature.
Topics: Autonomic Nervous System; Central Nervous System; Dopamine; Humans; Parkinson Disease; Prodromal Symptoms; alpha-Synuclein
PubMed: 31498132
DOI: 10.3233/JPD-191721 -
American Journal of Audiology Oct 2017This paper consists of 2 parts. The purpose of Part 1 was to review the potential influence of internal (person-related) factors on listening effort. The purpose of Part... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
This paper consists of 2 parts. The purpose of Part 1 was to review the potential influence of internal (person-related) factors on listening effort. The purpose of Part 2 was to present, in support of Part 1, preliminary data illustrating the interactive effects of an external factor (task demand) and an internal factor (evaluative threat) on autonomic nervous system measures.
METHOD
For Part 1, we provided a brief narrative review of motivation and stress as modulators of listening effort. For Part 2, we described preliminary data from a study using a repeated-measures (2 × 2) design involving manipulations of task demand (high, low) and evaluative threat (high, low). The low-demand task consisted of repetition of sentences from a narrative. The high-demand task consisted of answering questions about the narrative, requiring both comprehension and recall. During the high evaluative threat condition, participants were filmed and told that their video recordings would be evaluated by a panel of experts. During the low evaluative threat condition, no filming occurred; participants were instructed to "do your best." Skin conductance (sympathetic nervous system activity) and heart rate variability (HRV, parasympathetic activity) were measured during the listening tasks. The HRV measure was the root mean square of successive differences of adjacent interbeat intervals. Twelve adults with hearing loss participated.
RESULTS
Skin conductance increased and HRV decreased relative to baseline (no task) for all listening conditions. Skin conductance increased significantly with an increase in evaluative threat, but only for the more demanding task. There was no significant change in HRV in response to increasing evaluative threat or task demand.
CONCLUSIONS
Listening effort may be influenced by factors other than task difficulty, as reviewed in Part 1. This idea is supported by the preliminary data indicating that the sympathetic nervous system response to task demand is modulated by social evaluative threat. More work is needed to determine the relative contributions of motivation and emotional stress on physiological responses during listening tasks.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Auditory Perception; Autonomic Nervous System; Female; Galvanic Skin Response; Heart Rate; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Motivation; Stress, Psychological; Task Performance and Analysis
PubMed: 29049621
DOI: 10.1044/2017_AJA-16-0133 -
NeuroRehabilitation 2018Recent evidence suggests that autonomic nervous dysfunction may be one of many potential factors contributing to persisting post-concussion symptoms. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Recent evidence suggests that autonomic nervous dysfunction may be one of many potential factors contributing to persisting post-concussion symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
This is the first systematic review to explore the impact of concussion on multiple aspects of autonomic nervous system functioning.
METHODS
The methods employed are in compliance with the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and PRISMA standards. Embase, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and Science Citation Index literature searches were performed using relevant indexing terms for articles published prior to the end of December 2016. Data extraction was performed by two independent groups, including study quality indicators to determine potential risk for bias according to the 4-tiered classification scheme of the AAN.
RESULTS
Thirty-six articles qualified for inclusion in the analysis. Only three studies (one Class II and two Class IV) did not identify anomalies in measures of ANS functioning in concussed populations.
CONCLUSIONS
The evidence supports the conclusion that it is likely that concussion causes autonomic nervous system anomalies. An awareness of this relationship increases our understanding of the physical impact of concussion, partially explains the overlap of concussion symptoms with other medical conditions, presents opportunities for further research, and has the potential to powerfully inform treatment decisions.
Topics: Autonomic Nervous System; Humans; Post-Concussion Syndrome
PubMed: 29660949
DOI: 10.3233/NRE-172298 -
Cardiovascular Diabetology Aug 2021The incidence and prevalence of hypertension is increasing worldwide, with approximately 1.13 billion of people currently affected by the disease, often in association... (Review)
Review
The incidence and prevalence of hypertension is increasing worldwide, with approximately 1.13 billion of people currently affected by the disease, often in association with other diseases such as diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, dyslipidemia/hypercholesterolemia, and obesity. The autonomic nervous system has been implicated in the pathophysiology of hypertension, and treatments targeting the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), a key component of the autonomic nervous system, have been developed; however, current recommendations provide little guidance on their use. This review discusses the etiology of hypertension, and more specifically the role of the SNS in the pathophysiology of hypertension and its associated disorders. In addition, the effects of current antihypertensive management strategies, including pharmacotherapies, on the SNS are examined, with a focus on imidazoline receptor agonists.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Obesity Agents; Antihypertensive Agents; Autonomic Nervous System; Blood Pressure; Humans; Hypertension; Imidazoline Receptors; Obesity; Prognosis; Risk Factors
PubMed: 34412646
DOI: 10.1186/s12933-021-01356-w -
Medical Hypotheses 2006Pranayamic breathing, defined as a manipulation of breath movement, has been shown to contribute to a physiologic response characterized by the presence of decreased...
Pranayamic breathing, defined as a manipulation of breath movement, has been shown to contribute to a physiologic response characterized by the presence of decreased oxygen consumption, decreased heart rate, and decreased blood pressure, as well as increased theta wave amplitude in EEG recordings, increased parasympathetic activity accompanied by the experience of alertness and reinvigoration. The mechanism of how pranayamic breathing interacts with the nervous system affecting metabolism and autonomic functions remains to be clearly understood. It is our hypothesis that voluntary slow deep breathing functionally resets the autonomic nervous system through stretch-induced inhibitory signals and hyperpolarization currents propagated through both neural and non-neural tissue which synchronizes neural elements in the heart, lungs, limbic system and cortex. During inspiration, stretching of lung tissue produces inhibitory signals by action of slowly adapting stretch receptors (SARs) and hyperpolarization current by action of fibroblasts. Both inhibitory impulses and hyperpolarization current are known to synchronize neural elements leading to the modulation of the nervous system and decreased metabolic activity indicative of the parasympathetic state. In this paper we propose pranayama's physiologic mechanism through a cellular and systems level perspective, involving both neural and non-neural elements. This theoretical description describes a common physiological mechanism underlying pranayama and elucidate the role of the respiratory and cardiovascular system on modulating the autonomic nervous system. Along with facilitating the design of clinical breathing techniques for the treatment of autonomic nervous system and other disorders, this model will also validate pranayama as a topic requiring more research.
Topics: Autonomic Nervous System; Breathing Exercises; Humans; Models, Biological; Respiration
PubMed: 16624497
DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2006.02.042