The neural cardiovascular and hemodynamic adjustments to exercise are necessary to meet the metabolic demands of working skeletal muscle. These demands are met, in part, by precise alterations in sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve activity of the autonomic nervous system. Several neural mechanisms working in concert are responsible for these reflex adjustments and through complex interactions control the cardiovascular and hemodynamic changes in an intensity-dependent manner. It is well accepted that central command (a feed-forward mechanism originating from higher brain centers), the exercise pressor reflex (a feed-back mechanism originating from skeletal muscle), the arterial baroreflex (a negative feed-back mechanism originating from the carotid sinus and aortic arch), and the cardiopulmonary baroreflex (a negative feed-back mechanism originating from the heart, and blood vessels of the lungs) are all involved in mediating the characteristic cardiovascular adjustments to physical activity. Although certain fundamental mechanisms about each of these reflex mechanisms are continuing to be examined, there is a growing interest in regard to alterations in the activity of each of these neural inputs after the development of cardiovascular disease. This call for papers is for any aspects of neural cardiovascular control during exercise both in health and disease. Appropriate topics include but are not limited to, central and peripheral factors involved in these reflex control mechanisms, alterations in reflex control and the neural cardiovascular responses to exercise with disease, and potential integrative relationships between these neural control mechanisms. Studies performed in a variety of experimental models including humans, animals, cell culture, etc are all welcome.
The neural cardiovascular and hemodynamic adjustments to exercise are necessary to meet the metabolic demands of working skeletal muscle. These demands are met, in part, by precise alterations in sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve activity of the autonomic nervous system. Several neural mechanisms working in concert are responsible for these reflex adjustments and through complex interactions control the cardiovascular and hemodynamic changes in an intensity-dependent manner. It is well accepted that central command (a feed-forward mechanism originating from higher brain centers), the exercise pressor reflex (a feed-back mechanism originating from skeletal muscle), the arterial baroreflex (a negative feed-back mechanism originating from the carotid sinus and aortic arch), and the cardiopulmonary baroreflex (a negative feed-back mechanism originating from the heart, and blood vessels of the lungs) are all involved in mediating the characteristic cardiovascular adjustments to physical activity. Although certain fundamental mechanisms about each of these reflex mechanisms are continuing to be examined, there is a growing interest in regard to alterations in the activity of each of these neural inputs after the development of cardiovascular disease. This call for papers is for any aspects of neural cardiovascular control during exercise both in health and disease. Appropriate topics include but are not limited to, central and peripheral factors involved in these reflex control mechanisms, alterations in reflex control and the neural cardiovascular responses to exercise with disease, and potential integrative relationships between these neural control mechanisms. Studies performed in a variety of experimental models including humans, animals, cell culture, etc are all welcome.