Myocardial infarction causes sympathetic activation and parasympathetic dysfunction, which increase risk of sudden death due to ventricular arrhythmias. Mechanisms underlying parasympathetic dysfunction are unclear. The aim of this study was to delineate consequences of myocardial infarction on parasympathetic myocardial neurotransmitter levels and the function of parasympathetic cardiac gangli...

Celiac disease (CED) is immune-mediated enteropathy caused by gluten intolerance affecting genetically predisposed individuals. CED may exert a number of various symptoms, including extra intestinal manifestations. Neurological symptoms can be the first sign of gluten intolerance. However, affected autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity may be linked to other symptoms. We evaluated the frequen...

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a group of psycho behavioural symptoms experienced by many susceptible young women prior to menstruation. It is suggested that there is altered autonomic activity in the late leuteal phase of their endometrial cycle. The present study is aimed to see the autonomic reactivity in women suffering from PMS and to compare it with control ones. The results revealed that...

INTRODUCTION There is now abundant evidence that the immune system and the brain have close functional interactions in both directions. This review focuses on the influence of the microbiota (the bacteria resident in the gut) on brain function in major depressive disorder (MDD) and related syndromes. The gut and the central nervous system communicate partly through the autonomic nervous system ...

BACKGROUND Vision-based speed of processing (VSOP) training can result in broad cognitive improvements in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). What remains unknown, however, is what neurophysiological mechanisms account for the observed training effect. Much of the work in this area has focused on the central nervous system, neglecting the fact that the peripheral system...

The neurotrophic factors that influence the development and function of the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system are obscure. Recently, neurturin has been found to provide trophic support to neurons of the cranial parasympathetic ganglion. Here we show that GDNF signaling via the RET/GFR(alpha)1 complex is crucial for the development of cranial parasympathetic ganglia includin...

In relation to the paper “Heart rate variability and self-control: a meta-analysis,” we have recommendations that may be of importance when considering future research on HRV and self-control. The following commentary will cover three main points which consist of: (1) a systematic use of the terms “vagal/parasympathetic” instead of heart rate variability (HRV), as vagal tone is the real physiol...

This research was designed to investigate the relationship between sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses to the perception of social targets varying in social status. Participants varying in subjective financial status were presented with faces assigned with either a low, average, or high financial status. Electrocardiographic and impedance cardiography signal...