Autonomic Nervous System Regulation

Brain Stem

• reticular formation
  - regulation of pupil size
  - respiration
  - heart
  - blood pressure
  - swallowing

• pre ganglionic fibers are all regulated via activity that occurs in the brainstem
  - medulla oblongata and pons are critical components of the autonomic nervous system

• sympathetic division have lots of sub nuclei that are responsible for regulating different functions
  - some major nuclei within the parasympathetic division that regulate things

Reticulospinal Tract

• Spinal Cord:
  - urination
  - defecation
  - erection
  - ejaculat!on reflexes

• carries upper motor neurons from the brainstem, descending in the spinal cord to reach the pre ganglionic fibers of the sympathetic division in the thoracic and lumbar regions and also reaches the sacral spinal nerves associated with the parasympathetic division

• motor tract

• plays an important role in transmitting autonomic information to inferior regions of the spinal cord

Hypothalamus

• Overall integration of ANS, the boss (controls ANS)

• takes stress and determines a response and then communicates that to the autonomic nervous centers within the brain stem
  - centers include
  - limbic system (amygdala):
  - direct communication between the limbic system and the hypothalamus
  - Cerebral Cortex
  - stored memories play an important role, if you are recalling a story where you were scared, that will activate components of the limbic system and they hypothalamus will have to respond

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