Integrative Control Mechanisms for Cardiorespiratory and Somatomotor Functions in the Reticular Formation of the Lower Brain Stem

Abstract

From the functional point of view it is well accepted that only close interactions between cardiorespiratory and somatomotor control systems guarantee the integrity of organisms in all conditions of everyday life [30,31,83]. Characteristic modes of coordinations of somatomotor and autonomic innervation patterns determine the actual behavior. Both components of behaviorsomatomotor and autonomic — are not merely running parallel, but depend on each other. Adequate autonomic innervation enables the organism to realize somatomotor activity. On the other hand, the somatomotor nervous system assists the autonomic nervous system in homeostatic regulation. The functional synergy of the autonomic and the somatomotor nervous system was distinctly elaborated by W. R. Hess and by W. B. Cannon [15,30,31]. W. R. Hess discerned two functional states: an ergotropic one in which the autonomic nervous system supports the somatomotor system during intensive physical work and a trophotropic one in which the somatomotor system supports the autonomic nervous system in regulating assimilation and restitution of cell energy. This requires nervous structures responsible for integration of somatomotor and autonomic nervous activity.