Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Alexander University, Krankenhausstrasse 9, Erlangen, Germany.
Neurobiology of Nutrition & Metabolism Department, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA.
Auton Neurosci. 2021 Dec;236:102887. doi: 10.1016/j.autneu.2021.102887. Epub 2021 Sep 28.
Due to its pivotal role in autonomic networks, the vagus attracts continuous interest from both basic scientists and clinicians. In particular, recent advances in vagus nerve stimulation strategies and their application to pathological conditions beyond epilepsy provide a good opportunity to recall basic features of vagal peripheral and central anatomy. In addition to the "classical" vagal brainstem nuclei, i.e., dorsal motor nucleus, nucleus ambiguus and nucleus tractus solitarii, the spinal trigeminal and paratrigeminal nuclei come into play as targets of vagal afferents. On the other hand, the nucleus of the solitary tract receives and integrates not only visceral but also somatic afferents. Thus, the vagus system participates significantly in what may be defined as "somato-visceral interface".
由于其在自主神经系统中的关键作用，迷走神经吸引了基础科学家和临床医生的持续关注。特别是，迷走神经刺激策略的最新进展及其在癫痫以外的病理状况中的应用为回忆迷走神经外周和中枢解剖的基本特征提供了一个很好的机会。除了“经典”的迷走神经脑干核，即背侧运动核、疑核和孤束核，三叉神经和三叉旁核作为迷走传入神经的靶点也发挥作用。另一方面，孤束核不仅接收和整合内脏传入，还接收和整合躯体传入。因此，迷走神经系统在所谓的“躯体-内脏界面”中起着重要作用。
