Descending pathways to sympathetic and parasympathetic preganglionic neurons.

In this review a summary of some of the neural pathways that appear to be involved in central cardiovascular control is given. The efferent connections of the nucleus tractus solitarius are described. Particular emphasis is placed on those projections that go to nuclei that have direct connections with the intermediolateral cell column (viz. paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, Kõlliker-Fuse nucleus, A5 catecholamine cell group, the chemosensitive region of the ventral medulla, and possibly the region of the A1 catecholamine cell group). In addition, some fo these nuclei also have direct or indirect connections with the paraventricular and/or supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei. This suggests that some of the pathways that project to the cardiovascular preganglionic neurons may also influence the release of vasopressin.