ONLINE: Functional Anatomy of the Vagus System with Prof. Dr. Winfried Neuhuber

NOTE: Do you prefer to participate in the online version of this course? Please visit: https://staging.pro-osteo.com/courses/online-functiona…infried-neuhuber/

Prof. Dr. Winfried Neuhuber, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Germany

Introduction

General aim of the course: understanding the functional anatomy of peripheral and central components of the vagus system

Overview:

The vagus – more than just “parasympathetic”

A)Periphery

Vagus nerve: topography, its course from brainstem to pelvic organs, branching pattern, ganglia and paraganglia

Vagus nerve: fiber spectrum, vascularization

Vagus nerve: neuronal categories and their terminals in specific organs

• parasympathetic preganglionic
• branchiomotor
• visceral afferent
• somatic afferent

DISCUSSION

B)Central nervous system

Vagal motor and sensory brainstem nuclei, reflexes, sensory convergence

• Dorsal motor nucleus
• Nucleus ambiguus
• Nucleus tractus solitarii
• Nucleus spinalis nervi trigemini
• Nucleus paratrigeminalis

DISCUSSION

The vagus and its relation to other CNS structures

Rhombencephalon

• Ventrolateral medulla (respiratory and cardiovascular centers)
• Modulatory nuclei (raphe, locus coeruleus, A5)
• Parabrachial nuclei

Mesenecephalon

• Periaqueductal gray
• Substantia nigra

Prosencephalon

• Hypothalamus
• Amygdala
• Limbic cortices (insula, cingular cortex, prefrontal cortex)

DISCUSSION

Dr. Med. Winfried L. Neuhuber