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Psychophysiology Apr 2023The outflow of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is continuous and dynamic, but its functional organization is not well understood. Whether ANS patterns accompany...
The outflow of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is continuous and dynamic, but its functional organization is not well understood. Whether ANS patterns accompany emotions, or arise in basal physiology, remain unsettled questions in the field. Here, we searched for brief ANS patterns amidst continuous, multichannel physiological recordings in 45 healthy older adults. Participants completed an emotional reactivity task in which they viewed video clips that elicited a target emotion (awe, sadness, amusement, disgust, or nurturant love); each video clip was preceded by a pre-trial baseline period and followed by a post-trial recovery period. Participants also sat quietly for a separate 2-min resting period to assess basal physiology. Using principal components analysis and unsupervised clustering algorithms to reduce the second-by-second physiological data during the emotional reactivity task, we uncovered five ANS states. Each ANS state was characterized by a unique constellation of patterned physiological changes that differentiated among the trials of the emotional reactivity task. These ANS states emerged and dissipated over time, with each instance lasting several seconds on average. ANS states with similar structures were also detectable in the resting period but were intermittent and of smaller magnitude. Our results offer new insights into the functional organization of the ANS. By assembling short-lived, patterned changes, the ANS is equipped to generate a wide range of physiological states that accompany emotions and that contribute to the architecture of basal physiology.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Autonomic Nervous System; Emotions; Love; Disgust; Sadness
PubMed: 36371680
DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14218 -
Developmental Psychobiology Jul 2020Although autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning is "context-dependent," few studies examined children's normative sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic responses...
Although autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning is "context-dependent," few studies examined children's normative sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic responses to distinct challenges in early childhood years. Examining children's ANS responsivity to distinct challenges is important for understanding normative autonomic responses toward everyday life stressors and identifying paradigms that effectively elicit a "stress response." We examined children's (N = 278) sympathetic (preejection period [PEP]) and parasympathetic (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) responses to cognitive (i.e., problem-solving and cognitive control) and negatively valenced emotional (i.e., blocked goal and unfairness) challenges in preschool, kindergarten, and grade 1. Children, on average, demonstrated parasympathetic inhibition (RSA withdrawal) in response to all challenges but the magnitude of these responses depended on the task. Children showed sympathetic activation (PEP shortening) toward the problem-solving task at each assessment and there was no sample-level change in the magnitude of this response over time. Children showed greater sympathetic responsivity toward the cognitive control task over time, with evidence for a sympathetic activation response only in grade 1. Children experienced sympathetic inhibition (PEP lengthening) toward the unfairness tasks but did not experience significant sympathetic responsivity toward the blocked goal tasks. Parasympathetic responsivity to most challenges were modestly stable but there was no stability in sympathetic responsivity across time.
Topics: Child; Child Development; Child, Preschool; Cognition; Electrocardiography; Emotions; Female; Humans; Male; Parasympathetic Nervous System; Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia; Sympathetic Nervous System; United States; Ventricular Function, Left
PubMed: 31578722
DOI: 10.1002/dev.21926 -
Clinical Autonomic Research : Official... Dec 2010This review of clinical catecholamine neurochemistry is based on the Streeten Memorial Lecture at the 19th annual meeting of the American Autonomic Society and lectures...
This review of clinical catecholamine neurochemistry is based on the Streeten Memorial Lecture at the 19th annual meeting of the American Autonomic Society and lectures at a satellite of the 6th Congress of the International Society of Autonomic Neuroscience. Here I provide historical perspective, describe sources and meanings of plasma levels of catecholamines and their metabolites, present a model of a sympathetic noradrenergic neuron that conveys how particular aspects of sympathetic nervous function affect plasma levels of catecholamines and their metabolites, and apply the model to understand plasma neurochemical patterns associated with some drugs and disease states.
Topics: Animals; Autonomic Nervous System; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases; Catecholamines; Cholinergic Agents; History, 20th Century; Humans; Models, Neurological; Nobel Prize; Parasympathetic Nervous System
PubMed: 20623313
DOI: 10.1007/s10286-010-0065-7 -
Journal of the American College of... Apr 1996In the United States, sudden cardiac death is a major public health problem, accounting for approximately 300,000 deaths annually. Accurate identification of those... (Review)
Review
In the United States, sudden cardiac death is a major public health problem, accounting for approximately 300,000 deaths annually. Accurate identification of those patients at highest risk for this event has been problematic. The use of signal-averaged electrocardiography, Holter monitoring and assessment of left ventricular function have been shown to be predictive of future arrhythmic events in patients after a myocardial infarction. However, the clinical utility of these tests has been limited by their low sensitivity and positive predictive value. It has become increasingly clear that the autonomic nervous system is extremely important in the pathogenesis of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The two most important techniques used to study the autonomic nervous system--heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity--are reviewed, and the clinical and experimental data suggesting that these techniques are powerful predictors of future arrhythmic events are discussed in depth.
Topics: Animals; Autonomic Nervous System; Baroreflex; Death, Sudden, Cardiac; Heart Rate; Humans
PubMed: 8609321
DOI: 10.1016/0735-1097(95)00615-X -
Peptides Apr 2022Aging is the greatest independent risk factor for developing hypertension and cardiovascular-related diseases including systolic hypertension, vascular disease, ischemic... (Review)
Review
Aging is the greatest independent risk factor for developing hypertension and cardiovascular-related diseases including systolic hypertension, vascular disease, ischemic events, arrhythmias, and heart failure. Age-related cardiovascular risk is associated with dysfunction of peripheral organ systems, such as the heart and vasculature, as well as an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system characterized by increased sympathetic and decreased parasympathetic neurotransmission. Given the increasing prevalence of aged individuals worldwide, it is critical to better understand mechanisms contributing to impaired cardiovascular autonomic control in this population. In this regard, the renin-angiotensin system has emerged as an important hormonal modulator of cardiovascular function in aging, in part through modulation of autonomic pathways controlling sympathetic and parasympathetic outflow to cardiovascular end organs. This review will summarize the role of the RAS in cardiovascular autonomic control during aging, with a focus on current knowledge of angiotensin II versus angiotensin-(1-7) pathways in both rodent models and humans, pharmacological treatment strategies targeting the renin-angiotensin system, and unanswered questions for future research.
Topics: Aged; Aging; Autonomic Nervous System; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cardiovascular System; Humans; Hypertension; Renin-Angiotensin System; Sympathetic Nervous System
PubMed: 34973286
DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2021.170733 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Jun 2011For many subjectively experienced outcomes, such as pain and depression, rather large placebo effects have been reported. However, there is increasing evidence that... (Review)
Review
For many subjectively experienced outcomes, such as pain and depression, rather large placebo effects have been reported. However, there is increasing evidence that placebo interventions also affect end-organ functions regulated by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). After discussing three psychological models for autonomic placebo effects, this article provides an anatomical framework of the autonomic system and then critically reviews the relevant placebo studies in the field, thereby focusing on gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and pulmonary functions. The findings indicate that several autonomic organ functions can indeed be altered by verbal suggestions delivered during placebo and nocebo interventions. In addition, three experimental studies provide evidence for organ-specific effects, in agreement with the current knowledge on the central control of the ANS. It is suggested that the placebo effects on autonomic organ functions are best explained by the model of 'implicit affordance', which assumes that placebo effects are dependent on 'lived experience' rather than on the conscious representation of expected outcomes. Nevertheless, more studies will be needed to further elucidate psychological and neurobiological pathways involved in autonomic placebo effects.
Topics: Autonomic Nervous System; Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; Gastrointestinal Tract; Humans; Placebo Effect; Respiratory Physiological Phenomena
PubMed: 21576138
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0403 -
Neuroscience Bulletin Feb 2019The autonomic nervous system controls various internal organs and executes crucial functions through sophisticated neural connectivity and circuits. Its dysfunction... (Review)
Review
The autonomic nervous system controls various internal organs and executes crucial functions through sophisticated neural connectivity and circuits. Its dysfunction causes an imbalance of homeostasis and numerous human disorders. In the past decades, great efforts have been made to study the structure and functions of this system, but so far, our understanding of the classification of autonomic neuronal subpopulations remains limited and a precise map of their connectivity has not been achieved. One of the major challenges that hinder rapid progress in these areas is the complexity and heterogeneity of autonomic neurons. To facilitate the identification of neuronal subgroups in the autonomic nervous system, here we review the well-established and cutting-edge technologies that are frequently used in peripheral neuronal tracing and profiling, and discuss their operating mechanisms, advantages, and targeted applications.
Topics: Animals; Autonomic Nervous System; Cell Differentiation; Cell Lineage; Homeostasis; Humans; Nervous System; Neurons
PubMed: 30171526
DOI: 10.1007/s12264-018-0284-9 -
Best Practice & Research. Clinical... Oct 2017Joint homeostasis is affected by local and systemic processes. Catecholaminergic and cholinergic fibers innervate the synovium, trabecular bone, and periosteum. Several... (Review)
Review
Joint homeostasis is affected by local and systemic processes. Catecholaminergic and cholinergic fibers innervate the synovium, trabecular bone, and periosteum. Several studies have investigated the involvement of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in joint homeostasis and the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA). Various resident cells of osteoarticular tissues express receptors for sympathetic and parasympathetic neurotransmitters (norepinephrine/epinephrine and acetylcholine, respectively), which enables them to respond to autonomic stimuli. Furthermore, some of these cells are also able to synthesize neurotransmitters locally and secrete them, which may then act locally regardless of autonomic innervation. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is known for promoting bone loss, which has also been demonstrated in the subchondral bone during OA. However, it could interfere with other mechanisms in joint homeostasis. Indeed, intake of beta-blockers decreases pain sensation in individuals with OA; hence, the SNS could be one of the systemic links between hypertension and OA. Parasympathetic fibers may also be implicated in joint homeostasis and local control of inflammation. The vagus nerve has been found to have a strong anti-inflammatory action in other rheumatic diseases through the nicotinic alpha-7 receptor, which is locally expressed by most joint resident cells. Altogether, these data suggest that the ANS is involved in joint homeostasis and OA pathogenesis.
Topics: Autonomic Nervous System; Humans; Osteoarthritis
PubMed: 30509412
DOI: 10.1016/j.berh.2018.04.001 -
Circulation Research Jun 2019Hypertension affects an estimated 103 million Americans, yet gaps in knowledge continue to limit its successful management. Rapidly emerging evidence is linking gut... (Review)
Review
Hypertension affects an estimated 103 million Americans, yet gaps in knowledge continue to limit its successful management. Rapidly emerging evidence is linking gut dysbiosis to many disorders and diseases including hypertension. The evolution of the -omics techniques has allowed determination of the abundance and potential function of gut bacterial species by next-generation bacterial sequencing, whereas metabolomics techniques report shifts in bacterial metabolites in the systemic circulation of hypertensive patients and rodent models of hypertension. The gut microbiome and host have evolved to exist in balance and cooperation, and there is extensive crosstalk between the 2 to maintain this balance, including during regulation of blood pressure. However, an understanding of the mechanisms of dysfunctional host-microbiome interactions in hypertension is still lacking. Here, we synthesize some of our recent data with published reports and present concepts and a rationale for our emerging hypothesis of a dysfunctional gut-brain axis in hypertension. Hopefully, this new information will improve the understanding of hypertension and help to address some of these knowledge gaps.
Topics: Animals; Autonomic Nervous System; Blood Pressure; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Gastrointestinal Tract; Humans; Hypertension
PubMed: 31219753
DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.119.313965 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Aug 2022Parental socialization may influence the development of children's autonomic nervous system (ANS), a key stress-response system. However, to date no quantitative... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Parental socialization may influence the development of children's autonomic nervous system (ANS), a key stress-response system. However, to date no quantitative synthesis of the literature linking parenting and child ANS physiology has been conducted. To address this gap, we conducted a pre-registered meta-analysis. A systematic review of the literature identified 103 studies (n = 13,044 participants) with available effect sizes describing the association between parenting and either parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) or sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity in children. The overall analysis revealed non-significant associations between parenting and child ANS physiology on average. However, moderation analyses revealed a positive association between more positive parenting and higher resting PNS activity that was stronger when a study was experimental rather than correlational, and when the sample included children with a clinical condition. In conclusion, well-controlled experimental studies show that positive parenting is associated with the development of higher resting PNS activity, an effect that may be stronger among children who are at elevated developmental risk.
Topics: Autonomic Nervous System; Child; Humans; Parasympathetic Nervous System; Parenting; Rest; Sympathetic Nervous System
PubMed: 35716874
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104734