Abstract
Cardiovascular regulation is integral to life. Animal studies have identified both neural and endocrine pathways, by which the central nervous system adjusts cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance to changing physiological demands. The outflow of these pathways is coordinated by various central nervous regions based on afferent information from baroreceptors, chemoreceptors, nociceptors, and circulating hormones, and is modulated by physiologic and behavioural state. In humans, however, knowledge on central cardiovascular regulation below the cortical level is scarce. Here, we show using functional MRI (fMRI) that at least three hypothalamic subsystems are involved in cardiovascular regulation in humans. The rhythmic behaviour of these systems corresponds to high and low frequency oscillations typically seen in blood pressure and heart rate variability.
Highlights
Given the importance of cardiovascular regulation for our daily survival, it is not surprising that the body has several redundant and mutually interacting systems for this task
lower body negative pressure (LBNP) led to a significant reduction of systolic blood pressure (Rest: 132.6 ± 20.2 mmHg, LBNP: 113.4 ± 20.2 mmHg, t(17)=-11.3, p
We found five hypothalamic regions involved in cardiovascular regulation: the right anterior and bilateral tuberal lateral hypothalamic area (LH)/SON, the right tuberal paraventricular nucleus (PVN)/posterior hypothalamic area (PH) and the arcuate nucleus
Summary
Given the importance of cardiovascular regulation for our daily survival, it is not surprising that the body has several redundant and mutually interacting systems for this task. Much of our present understanding of these systems stems from animals experiments, while mechanistic studies in humans remain scarce, mostly for lack of non-invasive methods to assess subcortical brain activity. That all neural and neuroendocrine cardiovascular control systems are carefully orchestrated by the central nervous system to achieve optimal regulation. The control centres responsible for such orchestration are presumed to be located in the brainstem and hypothalamus. They are well characterised for the ‘textbook’ baroreflex, but much less for the other systems
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