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The autonomic nervous system is the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls visceral functions such as heart rate, respiratory rate and digestion. It consists of enteric, parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems and is regulated by the central nervous system, but functions largely autonomously, without conscious control.
A human fMRI study shows that defensive cardiac states moderate the neural computations of reward and threat value underlying approach-avoidance arbitration.
Previous work has shown that natural cardiac rhythms modulate the perception and reaction to sensory cues through changes in associated neural signals. Here, the authors show that sensitivity to prediction errors during reward learning is related to the phase of the cardiac cycle.
Exposure to acute and long-term exposure to cold temperatures results in the activation of thermoregulatory mechanisms that are under CNS control. In this Review, Mota and Madden discuss long-term physiological adaptations to cold exposure, with an emphasis on the specific states of hibernation, torpor and obesity.
Enteric nervous system function is essential for survival. Studies published in 2023 have provided important novel insights into the mechanisms that regulate its development and maintenance, and demonstrate how it can be restored when these mechanisms fail.
Cardiac disease drives the denervation of the pineal gland, resulting in a loss of neural control of melatonin release and disrupted sleep–wake patterns.