Journal article
Methods of assessing vagus nerve activity and reflexes
Heart failure reviews, Vol.16(2), pp.109-127
03/2011
DOI: 10.1007/s10741-010-9174-6
PMCID: PMC4322860
PMID: 20577901
Abstract
The methods used to assess cardiac parasympathetic (cardiovagal) activity and its effects on the heart in both humans and animal models are reviewed. Heart rate (HR)-based methods include measurements of the HR response to blockade of muscarinic cholinergic receptors (parasympathetic tone), beat-to-beat HR variability (HRV) (parasympathetic modulation), rate of post-exercise HR recovery (parasympathetic reactivation), and reflex-mediated changes in HR evoked by activation or inhibition of sensory (afferent) nerves. Sources of excitatory afferent input that increase cardiovagal activity and decrease HR include baroreceptors, chemoreceptors, trigeminal receptors, and subsets of cardiopulmonary receptors with vagal afferents. Sources of inhibitory afferent input include pulmonary stretch receptors with vagal afferents and subsets of visceral and somatic receptors with spinal afferents. The different methods used to assess cardiovagal control of the heart engage different mechanisms, and therefore provide unique and complementary insights into underlying physiology and pathophysiology. In addition, techniques for direct recording of cardiovagal nerve activity in animals; the use of decerebrate and in vitro preparations that avoid confounding effects of anesthesia; cardiovagal control of cardiac conduction, contractility, and refractoriness; and noncholinergic mechanisms are described. Advantages and limitations of the various methods are addressed, and future directions are proposed.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Methods of assessing vagus nerve activity and reflexes
- Creators
- Mark W Chapleau - The Cardiovascular Center and Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. mark-chapleau@uiowa.eduRasna Sabharwal
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Heart failure reviews, Vol.16(2), pp.109-127
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10741-010-9174-6
- PMID
- 20577901
- PMCID
- PMC4322860
- NLM abbreviation
- Heart Fail Rev
- ISSN
- 1382-4147
- eISSN
- 1573-7322
- Publisher
- United States
- Grant note
- P01 HL014388 / NHLBI NIH HHS HL14388 / NHLBI NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/2011
- Academic Unit
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Cardiovascular Medicine; Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984025453002771
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