Knowra Autonomic nervous system Autonomic nervous system The part of the nervous system that regulates involuntary functions, including heart rate, digestion, breathing, and glandular activity. It adjusts internal organs to changing conditions without requiring conscious control.
Sympathetic nervous system : The autonomic division that mobilizes energy and prepares the body for challenge or action. Its output raises cardiovascular activity and redirects resources during demanding conditions.
Homeostasis : The regulation of internal conditions within ranges compatible with an organism's function. Autonomic adjustments help keep variables such as blood pressure and temperature within workable ranges.
Heart rate variability : The variation in time intervals between consecutive heartbeats. Its patterns provide an indirect measure of autonomic influences on the heart.
Sympathovagal balance : A framework describing the relative influences of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, especially on the heart. It captures the common contrast between the system's two major divisions while remaining an imperfect simplification.
Neurovisceral integration model : A model linking brain networks, autonomic regulation, emotion, and flexible behavior. It proposes a framework for connecting autonomic control with cognition and emotional regulation.
Parasympathetic nervous system : The autonomic division that supports maintenance functions such as digestion, secretion, and energy conservation. Its output generally supports organ functions between periods of demand.
Reflex arc : A neural pathway in which sensory input triggers a response through the nervous system. Autonomic reflexes rapidly adjust organs in response to internal changes.
Orthostatic hypotension : A sustained fall in blood pressure after standing, which can cause dizziness or fainting. Impaired autonomic compensation can prevent blood pressure from stabilizing after standing.
Somatic nervous system : The nervous system pathways that convey sensory information and control skeletal muscles, often voluntarily. Unlike autonomic output, somatic motor pathways directly control skeletal muscle.
Polyvagal theory : A theory proposing that distinct vagal pathways support different states of social engagement, defense, and immobilization. Its claims about vagal evolution and function remain contested in autonomic neuroscience.
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