scholarly journals The biological clock tunes the organs of the body: timing by hormones and the autonomic nervous system

2003 ◽  
Vol 177 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
RM Buijs ◽  
CG van Eden ◽  
VD Goncharuk ◽  
A Kalsbeek
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Biological Clock ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
The Body ◽  
Physiological Data ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Similar Organization

The biological clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), is essential for our daily well-being. It prepares us for the upcoming period of activity by an anticipatory rise in heart rate, glucose and cortisol. At the same time the 'hormone of the darkness', melatonin, decreases. Thus, the time-of-day message penetrates into all tissues, interestingly not only by means of hormones but also by a direct neuronal influence of the SCN on the organs of the body. The axis between the SCN and the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) is crucial for the organization/synchronization of the neuroendocrine and autonomic nervous system with the time of day. This SCN-neuroendocrine PVN axis takes care of a timely hormonal secretion. At the same time, the SCN-autonomic PVN axis fine-tunes the organs by means of the autonomic nervous system for the reception of these hormones. Finally, the similar organization of the projections of the human SCN as compared with that in the rodent brain suggests that these basic principles of neuroendocrine autonomic interaction may also be true in the human. The physiological data collected in humans thus far seem to support this hypothesis, while pathological changes in the SCN of humans suffering from depression or hypertension indicate a role for the SCN in the etiology of these diseases.

scholarly journals Different Effects of Four Yogic Breathing Techniques on Mindfulness, Stress, and Well-being

2021 ◽  
Vol 06 (03) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Janika Epe ◽  
◽  
Rudolf Stark ◽  
Ulrich Ott ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Body ◽  
Paced Breathing ◽  
Differential Effects ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Breathing Techniques ◽  
Yogic Breathing

Yogic breathing techniques are fundamental to the physical and mental practice of yoga. They are closely connected to meditation, which involves the observation of breath. There are many yogic techniques based on the active regulation of the breath. Breathing practices influence many processes in the body, e.g. heart rate variability, and the mind, e.g. relaxation and stress, through their impact on the autonomic nervous system. This study intended to investigate differential effects of four yogic breathing techniques: (1) <em>ujjayi</em>—relaxation through slowing down the breath, (2) paced breathing—enhancement of concentration by following a precise protocol of slowdown breathing, (3) <em>kapalabhati</em>—raising wakefulness by mild hyperventilation, and (4) alternate nostril breathing—balancing the autonomic nervous system by alternating breath between the two nostrils. This study was conducted on 36 participants, who learned each technique within two weeks of an eight-week program and practiced them daily. After each technique, mindfulness, perceived stress, and physical well-being were assessed based on questionnaires. Ujjayi breathing, showed a relaxing effect, reduced stress, increased peacefulness, and the feeling of being at ease/leisure. Paced breathing resulted in a greater awareness of inner experiences. Kapalabhati showed a significant increase in vitality and joy of life, and alternate nostril breathing showed no hypothesis-compliant changes. The findings of this study suggest several beneficial and differential effects of these breathing techniques; therefore, they could be employed as tools for self-regulation in therapeutic contexts.

scholarly journals Craniosacral therapy in welfare and autonomous nervous system of fighters of mixed martial arts: cases study.

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 162
Author(s):  
Diane Nogueira Paranhos ◽  
Lia Medeiros Brandim ◽  
Ludmilla Karen Brandão Lima De Matos ◽  
Iara Sayuri Shimizu
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Martial Arts ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Body ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Mixed Martial Arts ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Craniosacral Therapy

Introduction: The Craniosacral Therapy uses tender and accurate touches to diagnose and treat the craniosacral system. The Mixed Martial Arts athletes are exposed at risk of injury during competitions, which can affect your welfare. The Craniosacral Therapy improves the functioning of the Central and Autonomic Nervous System, that promotes relaxation, sense of welfare and homeostasis in the body. Objective: to evaluate the effect of Craniosacral Therapy in welfare and Autonomic Nervous System in Mixed Martial Arts fighters. Method: We conducted a case study by analyzing the heart rate and general welfare of 05 Mixed Martial Arts fighters, eight sessions with Craniosacral Therapy, using respectively a frequency Polar RS800 and a Range of Subjective Well-Being for collection data, posteriorly it was submitted to the calculation of mean and standard deviation and "T Studant" test to compare the data before and after the treatments. Results: The initial evaluation of the athletes showed a high subjective well-being, that remained after the therapy. There was a statistically significant increase in one of the athletes with respect to positive affect (from 4.048 ± 0.5896 to 4.429 ± 0.5071). As for the negative affects three increased the score. There was a statistically significant reduction (p <0.001) between the initial and final heart rates in each service, with averages of 68.50 and 63.28 respectively. Conclusion: The Craniosacral Therapy increases the activity of the parasympatic nervous system, promoting decreased heart rate, providing better coronary flow and that alone is not sufficient to determine an increase or decrease of well-being.

scholarly journals Tracing from Fat Tissue, Liver, and Pancreas: A Neuroanatomical Framework for the Role of the Brain in Type 2 Diabetes

Endocrinology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 147 (3) ◽  
pp. 1140-1147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Kreier ◽  
Yolanda S. Kap ◽  
Thomas C. Mettenleiter ◽  
Caroline van Heijningen ◽  
Jan van der Vliet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Biological Clock ◽  
The Body ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Liver And Pancreas ◽  
Body Compartments

The hypothalamus uses hormones and the autonomic nervous system to balance energy fluxes in the body. Here we show that the autonomic nervous system has a distinct organization in different body compartments. The same neurons control intraabdominal organs (intraabdominal fat, liver, and pancreas), whereas sc adipose tissue located outside the abdominal compartment receives input from another set of autonomic neurons. This differentiation persists up to preautonomic neurons in the hypothalamus, including the biological clock, that have a distinct organization depending on the body compartment they command. Moreover, we demonstrate a neuronal feedback from adipose tissue that reaches the brainstem. We propose that this compartment-specific organization offers a neuroanatomical perspective for the regional malfunction of organs in type 2 diabetes, where increased insulin secretion by the pancreas and disturbed glucose metabolism in the liver coincide with an augmented metabolic activity of visceral compared with sc adipose tissue.

Emotional processing and the autonomic nervous system: a comprehensive meta-analytic investigation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Silva Moreira ◽  
Pedro Chaves ◽  
Nuno Dias ◽  
Patrício Costa ◽  
Pedro Rocha Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Skin Conductance Level ◽  
The Body ◽  
Analytic Investigation ◽  
Physiological Basis ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Conductance Level

Background: The search for autonomic correlates of emotional processing has been a matter of interest for the scientific community with the goal of identifying the physiological basis of emotion. Despite an extensive state-of-the-art exploring the correlates of emotion, there is no absolute consensus regarding how the body processes an affective state.Objectives: In this work, we aimed to aggregate the literature of psychophysiological studies in the context of emotional induction. Methods: For this purpose, we conducted a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analytic investigation, comparing different measures from the electrodermal, cardiovascular, respiratory and facial systems across emotional categories/dimensions. Two-hundred and ninety-one studies met the inclusion criteria and were quantitatively pooled in random-effects meta-analytic modelling. Results: Heart rate and skin conductance level were the most reported psychophysiological measures. Overall, there was a negligible differentiation between emotional categories with respect to the pooled estimates. Of note, considerable amount of between-studies’ heterogeneity was found in the meta-analytic aggregation. Self-reported ratings of emotional arousal were found to be associated with specific autonomic-nervous system (ANS) indices, particularly with the variation of the skin conductance level. Conclusions: Despite this clear association, there is still a considerable amount of unexplained variability that raises the need for more fine-grained analysis to be implemented in future research in this field.

DYNAMICS OF SERUM PROTEIN CONTENT AND PRODUCTIVITY OF CHICKENS WITH DIFFERENT TONUS OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Studenok ◽  
◽  
E .O. Shnurenko ◽  
V. O. Trokoz ◽  
V. I. Karposkyi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Total Protein ◽  
Protein Metabolism ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
The Body ◽  
Main Role ◽  
Autonomic Nervous

The main role in maintaining the functioning of the body, its growth, and development belongs to protein. It is involved in the formation of the muscular skeleton and is s part of enzymes, neurotransmitters, hormones. The effect of the autonomic nervous system on total protein metabolism has not been sufficiently studied. It is known that the autonomic nervous system is a structure that is responsible for the homeostasis and stability of the whole organism. It participates in the regulation of the heart, endocrine and external secretion glands, gastrointestinal tract, excretory organs, and more. In our studies, it was found that in chickens of Cobb 500 strain with different tones of the autonomic nervous system during the growing period from the 35th to the 60th day, different contents of total protein, albumin, and globulins were observed and different body weights were recorded. Vagotonic chickens showed the lowest protein metabolism at the age of 35 and 45 days (P ˂ 0.05–0.001) compared with sympathicotonics and normotonics, which tended to increase between 35 and 60 days of rearing compared with other groups of birds, where the studied protein fractions on the contrary decreased. Correlations between total protein, albumin, and bird body weight had a high linear relationship in all groups of chickens (P ˂ 0.05–0.001) and a negative relationship between the 45th and 60th days of rearing in sympathicotonics and normotonics. In birds with a predominance of parasympathetic tone of the autonomic nervous system, this correlation maintained its direction with high reliability (P ˂ 0.05) between body weight and total protein on the 60th day of rearing.

Yoga and Polyvagal Theory

2021 ◽  
pp. 391-409
Author(s):  
Marlysa Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Wide Spread ◽  
Polyvagal Theory ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Behavioral States ◽  
Biopsychosocial Health

This chapter explores yoga as a salutogenic intervention supportive of eudaimonic well-being with its wide-spread health effects for various patient populations. Autonomic nervous system regulation and resilience are considered as important meditators for the promotion of biopsychosocial health. Polyvagal theory offers a novel perspective on how underlying neural platforms support combined physiological, psychological, and behavioral states—inclusive of eudaimonic well-being. This chapter describes the convergence of neurophysiological ideas of neuroception, interoception, and neural platforms with yoga foundational concepts such as discriminative wisdom and the gunas. This translatory language of eudaimonic well-being and polyvagal theory offers a framework for yoga to be understood and integrated into current healthcare and research contexts while maintaining its unique perspective and foundational wisdom.

Blood Pressure and Orthostatic Hypotension: Faints, Near-Faints, and Lightheadedness

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Eric Ahlskog
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Orthostatic Hypotension ◽  
Vessel Diameter ◽  
Upright Position ◽  
Grocery Store ◽  
The Body ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Neurodegenerative Process

Case example: Mrs. H. feels lightheaded intermittently during the day. This happens exclusively when she is up and about. Sometimes she notes graying of vision with these episodes. The feeling is not spinning (i.e., not vertigo). She has fainted twice when standing in line at the grocery store. If she sits, she feels much better. It is worse in the morning but may recur any time of the day. She feels fine while lying in bed at night. Older adults often worry about high blood pressure (BP), yet the opposite problem, low BP, is common among those with DLB or PDD. This is because the Lewy neurodegenerative process impairs the autonomic nervous system. The specific condition that may afflict those with DLB or PDD is orthostatic hypotension. The term orthostatic implies the upright position (i.e., standing); hypotension translates into low BP. Thus, the low BP occurring in these Lewy disorders develops in the upright position; conversely, it is normal or even high when lying down. When standing or walking, the BP may drop so low that fainting occurs. Among people with orthostatic hypotension, the BP is normal when sitting, although in severe cases, even the sitting BP is low. Whereas most people with DLB or PDD do not experience symptoms of orthostatic hypotension, it is sufficiently frequent to deserve attention. It often goes undiagnosed, even when fainting occurs. Unrecognized orthostatic hypotension may limit activities and impair the person’s quality of life. The first half of this chapter provides further background, with focus on BP measurement and recognition of orthostatic hypotension. The last half addresses treatment. The normal autonomic nervous system senses the position of our body with respect to the pull of gravity. It is able to reflexively counter gravity’s downward pull on the blood volume when standing (gravity tends to draw blood toward our feet when standing). An important mechanism for countering gravity’s pull is the constriction of blood vessel diameter in the lower half of the body. These vessels reflexively constrict during standing, in effect forcing blood up to the brain. The autonomic nervous system mediates these and other reflexive changes to stabilize BP.

Man, Machine, and Homeostasis

2011 ◽  
pp. 141-148
Author(s):  
James R. Munis
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Fundamental Principle ◽  
The Body ◽  
Set Point ◽  
Autonomic Nervous ◽  
Claude Bernard ◽  
Shed Light

Physiologist Claude Bernard lived in a time when very little was known about the mechanisms underlying physiologic findings, and he had ample access to clues garnered from observing machines. Let's consider homeostasis (a concept championed by Bernard), an example for which an engineered machine shed light on a fundamental principle of physiology. Homeostasis is simply the tendency of the body to maintain important physiologic variables (eg, heart rate, blood pressure, PACO2) at constant, preset values. An example is a simplified mechanical governor that could be used to regulate the rotational speed of a steam engine shaft. ‘Autoregulate’ might be a more apt word because the governor performs without external help or guidance, provided it is designed and built properly. It doesn't take much imagination to see an analogy between the mechanical governor and the autonomic nervous system. Both maintain specific variables at a constant set point through a process of feedback loops.

scholarly journals Modulation of Body Representation Impacts on Efferent Autonomic Activity

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1104-1116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco D'Alonzo ◽  
Alessandro Mioli ◽  
Domenico Formica ◽  
Giovanni Di Pino
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Skin Conductance Response ◽  
Time Windows ◽  
Body Representation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Hand Position ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Autonomic Nervous

The afferent branch of the autonomic nervous system contributes with interoception to the multimodal sensory correlation continuously needed to update our representation of the body. To test whether the modulation of body representation would have an impact on the efferent branch of the autonomic nervous system, nonspecific skin conductance has been measured in three rubber hand illusion (RHI) experiments, controlled with asynchronous brush-stroking and incongruent fake hand position. Nonspecific skin conductance standard deviation (SCSD) computed along the whole 90 sec of stroking was found to be increased by the illusion and to correlate with all the typical measures of embodiment. Computing SCSD in shorter time windows strongly enhanced the difference between illusion and controls. The highest difference was found in the 10–55 sec window, being the 14–34 sec window as the most informative one. The higher correlations with the validated measures of embodiment (all but the proprioceptive drift) were found for time windows ranging between 35 and 65 sec. The SCSD was no longer significantly higher when the RHI was repeated twice (two trials each iteration), but it was still significantly higher in synchronous stroking even when considering only the second trial. However, after the first iteration of the RHI paradigm, the effect of the embodiment on nonspecific skin conductance response results to be attenuated, suggesting that novelty in presentation of the RHI can contribute to the effect on nonspecific skin conductance response. Results candidate SCSD as a noninvasive, cheap, easy, and objective measure of embodiment, especially sensible to onset and strength of the illusion. Alike the already known enhanced autonomic reaction to a threatening, SCSD does not interfere with the collection of other behavioral measures. Correlations and their dynamics, presence of the effect in the second presentation of the setup but relative low robustness against multiple repetition, suggest that the increased fluctuations of skin conductance caught by SCSD are not just the effect of different presented sensory stimuli but more likely a stronger arousal response to the novelty of the updated perceptual status.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document