Cortical control of the autonomic nervous system

The Autonomic Nervous System

T sweating sunbather lying quietly in the summer sun or the racing heart and “hair-standing-on-end” sensations experienced by a person suddenly frightened by a horror movie are familiar examples of the body responding automatically to changes in the physical or emotional environment. These responses occur as a result of the actions of the autonomic portion of the nervous system and take place w...

The Autonomic Nervous System

Hepatic Control of Energy Metabolism via the Autonomic Nervous System

Although the human liver comprises approximately 2.8% of the body weight, it plays a central role in the control of energy metabolism. While the biochemistry of energy substrates such as glucose, fatty acids, and ketone bodies in the liver is well understood, many aspects of the overall control system for hepatic metabolism remain largely unknown. These include mechanisms underlying the ascerta...

Autonomic Nervous System

Autonomic Nervous System Testing

A utonomic nervous system testing is used to document diabetic autonomic failure. Diabetic autonomic failure is defined as impaired function of the peripheral autonomic nervous system and can be divided into two categories: 1) autonomic neuropathy, in which there is a structural lesion of the peripheral autonomic neuron and 2) functional autonomic failure, in which no known structural lesion oc...