Year: 2025
Type: review
Abstract: Autonomic medicine is a rapidly evolving field focused on understanding diseases and processes that affect the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS regulates essential involuntary physiologic processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion. This review introduces the key anatomical structures, physiological mechanisms, and biochemical processes underlying autonomic function. The anatomy section focuses on the peripheral components of the ANS, including the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. The physiological section explores the process of homeostasis and the intricate feedback systems that maintain this balance within the body. Finally, the biochemistry of autonomic signaling, focusing on the neurotransmitters acetylcholine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine, and their receptors, is reviewed. Pertinent clinical points are highlighted throughout, emphasizing the importance of the basic science to the clinical world. This review aims to provide a comprehensive basic science foundation for clinicians and researchers exploring the field of autonomic medicine.
DOI: 10.31083/jin31369
Institution: Mayo Clinic
Language: English
Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,900
OpenAlex ID: W4414066138