REFLEXES THE CODES OF NEUROLOGY

reflexesneurologytaskindumankapak21432

AUTONOMOUS AND VISCERAL REFLEXES

Fahrettin Ege

Yüksek İhtisas University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Ankara, Türkiye

Ege F. Autonomous and visceral Reflexes. In: Duman T, editor. Reflexes The Codes of Neurology. 1st ed. Ankara: Türkiye Klinikleri; 2025. p.159-169.

ABSTRACT

The autonomic nervous system is an important part of the peripheral and central nervous system that regulates the various responses given by humans to the physiological state that shows variations and to the constantly changing external world. The autonomic system is examined under two main categories: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. Physiologically, the sympathetic nervous system regulates the fight and-flight response in the event of danger. In contrast, the parasympathetic nervous system governs the rest and digestion functions that occur during calm. These responses follow each other many times during the day or sometimes intertwine. When the efferent components are considered anatomically, the sympathetic nervous system is called the thoracolumbar system, and the parasympathetic nervous system is called the cranio-caudal system. however, in this section, the anatomy of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems will be explained not only by reducing it to efferent components but also by considering the afferent (general visceral afferents), the central nervous system (structures responsible for central autonomic control) and efferent parts together, i.e., in a holistic manner. The functioning and physiology of autonomic and visceral reflexes will also be discussed in accordance with these anatomical structures. unlike many other systems, the autonomic nervous system has no part that reaches the level of consciousness except for reflected visceral pain, and it is entirely concerned with reflexes and unconscious physiological mechanisms. These reflexes are examined under separate headings as arterial and venous vasomotor reflexes, arterial and cardiopulmonary baroreflexes, exercise pressor reflex, arterial chemoreflex, Bezold-Jarisch reflex regulating the syncope response, thermoregulatory responses concerning sweat glands, nociceptive responses, physiological response to hypoglycemia, and gustatory-salivary reflex. In addition, axon reflexes concerning only efferent components are also mentioned below. Cutaneous vasomotor axon reflex and various thermoregulatory axon responses are discussed in this context. The parasympathetic fibers carried by cranial nerves and their functions are not included in this section, as they will be addressed in a different section of this book. It should be noted that there is still insufficient anatomical and physiological knowledge about autonomic reflexes today. unlike other systems, testing them requires technological equipment, complex methodologies, academic discipline, and time. For this reason, many experimental physiology studies and clinical studies investigating autonomic responses are still being conducted today, and what is known will increase over time.

Keywords: Autonomic nervous system; Sympathetic nervous system; Parasympathetic nervous system; Axon reflex; vasomotor reflex; Arterial baroreflex; Thermoregulation

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