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Following one's heart: cardiac rhythms gate central initiation of sympathetic reflexes

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posted on 2023-06-15, 14:00 authored by Marcus A Gray, Karin Rylander, Neil Harrison, B Gunnar Wallin, Hugo CritchleyHugo Critchley
Central nervous processing of environmental stimuli requires integration of sensory information with ongoing autonomic control of cardiovascular function. Rhythmic feedback of cardiac and baroreceptor activity contributes dynamically to homeostatic autonomic control. We examined how the processing of brief somatosensory stimuli is altered across the cardiac cycle to evoke differential changes in bodily state. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging of brain and noninvasive beat-to-beat cardiovascular monitoring, we show that stimuli presented before and during early cardiac systole elicited differential changes in neural activity within amygdala, anterior insula and pons, and engendered different effects on blood pressure. Stimulation delivered during early systole inhibited blood pressure increases. Individual differences in heart rate variability predicted magnitude of differential cardiac timing responses within periaqueductal gray, amygdala and insula. Our findings highlight integration of somatosensory and phasic baroreceptor information at cortical, limbic and brainstem levels, with relevance to mechanisms underlying pain control, hypertension and anxiety.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

The Journal of Neuroscience

ISSN

0270-6474

Publisher

Society for Neuroscience

Issue

6

Volume

29

Page range

1817-1825

Department affiliated with

  • Clinical and Experimental Medicine Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2011-08-24

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2011-08-24

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2011-07-18

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