Functional distribution of right and left stellate innervation to the ventricles. Production of neurogenic electrocardiographic changes by unilateral alteration of sympathetic tone.

• Electrical stimulation of a variety of sites in the central nervous system of cats, dogs, and monkeys has been shown to produce electrocardiographic changes." Clinical observations of patients with central nervous system lesions also suggest that the nervous system may play a role in the production of electrocardiographic changes in man.Electrocardiographic findings ranging from changes in ST-T wave form to a variety of cardiac dysrhythmias have been produced by the stimulation of many brain stem areas and some cortical areas in laboratory animals. Experiments by Manning and Cotton have demonstrated that ectopic beats and idioventricular rhythms could be produced following electrical stimulation of the midbrain reticular formation and posterior hypothalamus of the cat. These dysrhythmias were abolished by bilateral vagotomy, vagal cooling, and cholingeric blocking agents, as well as following bilateral stellate ganglionectomy. Ueda et al.produced changes in cardiac rate and rhythm by electrical stimulation of numerous areas throughout the midbrain and the diencephalon of the dog. "Ischemic-like" changes and dysrhythmias following stimulation of the hypothalamus in cats have been reported by Meville et al. Korteweg et al.