Cardiovascular centre
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The cardiovascular centre is a part of the human brain which regulates heart rate through the nervous and endocrine systems.[1] It is considered one of the vital centres of the medulla oblongata.[2][3]
Structure
The cardiovascular centre, or cardiovascular center, is part of the medulla oblongata of the
Function
The cardiovascular centre responds to a variety of types of sensory information, such as:
- change of blood pH, detected by central chemoreceptors.[4]
- change of
- change of blood pressure , detected by arterial baroreceptors in the aortic arch and the carotid sinuses.[2]
- various other inputs from the hypothalamus, thalamus, and cerebral cortex.[4]
The cardiovascular centre affects changes to the heart rate by sending a
- sympathetic fibres, part of the autonomic nervous system, to make heart rate faster.
- the vagus nerve, part of the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system, to lower heart rate.
The cardiovascular centre also increases the stroke volume of the heart (that is, the amount of blood it pumps). These two changes help to regulate the cardiac output, so that a sufficient amount of blood reaches tissues. This function is so significant to normal functioning of the circulatory system that the cardiovascular centre is considered a vital centre of the medulla oblongata.[2][3]
Clinical significance
Many anaesthetics depress the activity of the cardiovascular center.[5] Phencyclidine may be a useful anaesthetic because it does not impact the cardiovascular center.[5] This also contrasts phencyclidine from many other recreational drugs.[5]
See also
References
- ^ PMID 24095118, retrieved 2020-11-25
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7020-3373-5, retrieved 2020-11-25
- ^ ISBN 978-0-443-10321-6, retrieved 2020-11-25
- ^ ISBN 978-0-323-04318-2, retrieved 2020-11-25
- ^ ISBN 978-0-12-398518-7, retrieved 2020-11-30