Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Symptomatic use of carbidopa in autonomic disorders
This study retrospectively characterized patients in our autonomic clinic who were prescribed carbidopa for open label treatment of autonomic symptoms. 23 patients were included; approximately half had postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Those with documented plasma catecholamines had elevated standing norepinephrine. Patients typically had multiple comorbidities and multiple failed therapies. (Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical)
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - September 29, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Elisabeth P. Golden, Christine J. Park, Steven Vernino Tags: Short Communication Source Type: research

Transdermal auricular vagus stimulation for the treatment of postural tachycardia syndrome
Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a chronic disorder characterized by symptoms of orthostatic intolerance such as fatigue, lightheadedness, dizziness, palpitations, dyspnea, chest discomfort and remarkable tachycardia upon standing.Non-invasive transdermal vagal stimulators have been applied for the treatment of epilepsy, anxiety, depression, headache, and chronic pain syndromes. Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating effects after transdermal vagal stimulation raised interest for applications in other diseases. (Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical)
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - September 28, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Andr é Diedrich, Vasile Urechie, Dana Shiffer, Stefano Rigo, Maura Minonzio, Beatrice Cairo, Emily C. Smith, Luis E. Okamoto, Franca Barbic, Andrea Bisoglio, Alberto Porta, Italo Biaggioni, Raffaello Furlan Source Type: research

Functional anatomy of the vagus system – Emphasis on the somato-visceral interface
Due to its pivotal role in autonomic networks, the vagus attracts continuous interest from both basic scientists and clinicians. In particular, recent advances in vagus nerve stimulation strategies and their application to pathological conditions beyond epilepsy provide a good opportunity to recall basic features of vagal peripheral and central anatomy. In addition to the “classical” vagal brainstem nuclei, i.e., dorsal motor nucleus, nucleus ambiguus and nucleus tractus solitarii, the spinal trigeminal and paratrigeminal nuclei come into play as targets of vagal afferents. (Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical)
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - September 27, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Winfried L. Neuhuber, Hans-Rudolf Berthoud Source Type: research

Editorial Board
(Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical)
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - September 18, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research

Purinergic neurotransmission in the gustatory system
Taste buds consist of specialized epithelial cells which detect particular tastants and synapse onto the afferent taste nerve innervating the endorgan. The nature of the neurotransmitter released by taste cells onto the nerve fiber was enigmatic early in this century although neurotransmitters for other sensory receptor cell types, e.g. hair cells, photoreceptors, was known for at least a decade. A 1999 paper by Burnstock and co-workers (Bo et al., 1999) showing the presence of P2X receptors on the afferent nerves served as a springboard for research that ultimately led to the discovery of ATP as the crucial neurotransmitt...
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - September 10, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: T. Finger, Sue Kinnamon Source Type: research

Brain plasticity and vagus nerve stimulation
After damage to the central nervous system, caused by traumatic injury or ischemia, plasticity becomes critically important for functional recovery. When this inherent capacity to adapt is limited despite training, external stimulation may support this process.Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an effective method to enhance the effect of motor rehabilitation training on functional recovery. However, the mechanisms by which VNS exerts beneficial effects on cortical plasticity are not completely understood. (Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical)
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - September 6, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Marius Keute, Alireza Gharabaghi Source Type: research

Differential influences of dietary sodium on blood pressure regulation based on race and sex
There are clear differences between men and women, and differences among races, in the incidence and prevalence of hypertension. Furthermore, there is extensive inter-individual variability among humans in the extent to which sodium ingestion alters blood pressure. Orthostatic intolerance and orthostatic hypotension are more common in women; these are often treated with a high salt diet, which has variable efficacy in increasing blood volume and blood pressure. Conversely, people with certain forms of hypertension are often counseled to decrease their sodium intake. (Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical)
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - September 3, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Austin T. Robinson, Megan M. Wenner, Nisha Charkoudian Source Type: research

tVNS in the management of headache and pain
First clinical observations of the therapeutic effect of vagus nerve stimulation were of patients who were treated for refractory epilepsy with a fully implanted vagus nerve stimulator, who also reported an improvement of their migraine and cluster headache. With the development of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation, first clinical studies concerning a possible therapeutic effect in migraine and cluster headache were performed. In a controlled study, transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation (tcVNS) showed a significant but limited effect in acute treatment of a migraine attack. (Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical)
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - August 31, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Andreas Straube, Ozan Eren Source Type: research

Genetic markers of vasovagal syncope
Vasovagal syncope may have a genetic predisposition. It has a high prevalence in some families, and children of a fainting parent are more likely to faint than those without a parent who faints. Having two fainting parents or a fainting twin increases the likelihood even further. Several genotypes appear to associate with the phenotype of positive tilt tests, but the control subjects are usually those who faint and have negative tilt tests. Twin studies, highly focused genome-wide association studies, and copy number variation studies all suggest there are loci in the genome that associate with vasovagal syncope, although ...
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - August 27, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Robert S. Sheldon, Brenda Gerull Source Type: research

Syncope and COVID-19 disease – A systematic review
In this report, we aimed to examine the current frequency and etiology of syncope in COVID-19. (Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical)
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - August 27, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Raquel Falc ão de Freitas, Sofia Cardoso Torres, Francisco Javier Martín-Sánchez, Adrián Valls Carbó, Giuseppe Lauria, José Pedro L. Nunes Tags: Review Source Type: research

Stress and central autonomic network
The central autonomic network (CAN) plays a critical role in the stress response, which is triggered by challenges on the homeostasis (physiological stressors) or unpleasant social or environmental situations. This review focuses on the role of areas of the CAN including the insular and anterior cingulate cortices, extended amygdala, hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray and locus coeruleus in the stress response. These areas are interconnected and affect sympathetic or parasympathetic output via their influence on premotor or preganglionic autonomic neurons in the lower brainstem and spinal cord. (Source: Autonomic Neuroscien...
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - August 25, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Guillaume Lamotte, Kamal Shouman, Eduardo E. Benarroch Source Type: research

Detection of opioid effect with pupillometry
Opioids produce pupillary constriction but their impact on pupillary unrest and the dynamic parameters of the pupillary light reflex have not been characterized. Given the increasing use of portable pupillometers for care of critically ill patients, it is important to distinguish between opioid effects on the pupil versus those that have been reported to arise from traumatic and ischemic brain insults. We undertook this study to determine which pupillary responses are most profoundly and consistently affected by a progressive infusion of remifentanil. (Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical)
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - August 18, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Rachel Eshima McKay, Merl ín D. Larson Source Type: research

Markers of susceptibility to cardiac arrhythmia in experimental spinal cord injury and the impact of sympathetic stimulation and exercise training
Injury to descending autonomic (sympathetic) pathways is common after high-level spinal cord injury (SCI) and associated with abnormal blood pressure and heart rate regulation. In individuals with high-level SCI, abnormal sympathovagal balance (such as during autonomic dysreflexia; paroxysmal hypertension provoked by sensory stimuli below the injury) is proarrhythmogenic. Exercise training is a key component of SCI rehabilitation and management of cardiovascular disease risk, but it is unclear whether exercise training influences susceptibility to cardiac arrhythmia. (Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical)
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - August 9, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Vera-Ellen M. Lucci, Emma L. Harrison, Kathryn M. DeVeau, Kathryn A. Harman, Jordan W. Squair, Andrei Krassioukov, David S.K. Magnuson, Christopher R. West, Victoria E. Claydon Source Type: research

The innervation of the bladder, the pelvic floor, and emotion: A review
The innervation of the pelvic region is complex and includes extensive neurologic pathways. The higher centres' organisation determining the pelvic floor and organs' function remains a challenge understanding the physiological and pain mechanisms. Psychological and emotional factors have a profound influence on the pelvic floor and organ dysfunction such as LUTS. LUTS are associated with stress, depression, and anxiety. Neuroception is a subconscious neuronal system for detecting threats and safety and might explain the permanent disturbance of higher brain centres maintaining functional urological and gastrointestinal dis...
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - August 9, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: J örgen Quaghebeur, Peter Petros, Jean-Jacques Wyndaele, Stefan De Wachter Tags: Review Source Type: research

Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation associated with an aerobic exercise bout on blood pressure and autonomic modulation of hypertensive patients: A pilot randomized clinical trial
The objective of this article was to evaluate the effects of an aerobic exercise bout associated with a single session of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left temporal lobe on blood pressure (BP) and heart rate variability (HRV) in hypertensive people. After met the inclusion criteria, twenty hypertensive people were randomized to active-tDCS or sham-tDCS group. Initially, they provided their sociodemographic data, a blood sample, and went through an evaluation of the cardiorespiratory performance. (Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical)
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - August 5, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Edson Silva-Filho, J éssica Albuquerque, Marom Bikson, Rodrigo Pegado, Amilton da Cruz Santos, Maria do Socorro Brasileiro-Santos Source Type: research