The autonomic brain: an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis for central processing of autonomic function

Abstract

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is of paramount importance for daily life. Its regulatory action on respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, and many other systems is controlled by a number of structures in the CNS. While the majority of these nuclei and cortices have been identified in animal models, neuroimaging studies have recently begun to shed light on central autonomic processing in humans. In this study, we used activation likelihood estimation to conduct a meta-analysis of human neuroimaging experiments evaluating central autonomic processing to localize (1) cortical and subcortical areas involved in autonomic processing, (2) potential subsystems for the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the ANS, and (3) potential subsystems for specific ANS responses to different stimuli/tasks. Across all tasks, we identified a set of consistently activated brain regions, comprising left amygdala, right anterior and left posterior insula and midcingulate cortices that form the core of the central autonomic network. While sympathetic-associated regions predominate in executive- and salience-processing networks, parasympathetic regions predominate in the default mode network. Hence, central processing of autonomic function does not simply involve a monolithic network of brain regions, instead showing elements of task and division specificity.

Figure 1.

Results of the pooled analyses of all studies showing general brain regions involved in autonomic processing. Prec, Precuneus; vPCC, ventral posterior cingulate cortex; mdThal, mediodorsal thalamus; pgACC, pregenual ACC; VTA, ventral tegmental area; Hyp, hypothalamus; SC, superior colliculus; PAG, periaqueductal gray; FIC, frontoinsular cortex; L, left; R, right.

Figure 2.

Brain areas associated with sympathetic and parasympathetic regulation as assessed by electrodermal activity and high-frequency heart rate variability. pgACC, Pregenual ACC; mdThal, mediodorsal thalamus; VTA, ventral tegmental area; M1, primary motor cortex; MTG, medial temporal gyrus; STG, superior temporal gyrus; L, left; R, right.

Figure 3.

Conjunction analyses for three common task categories and the two ANS division to identify sympathetic and parasympathetic contributions to CAN modulatory regions observed for different tasks. pSMA, Presupplementary motor area; pMCC, posterior MCC; SI, primary somatosensory cortex; Thal, thalamus; mdThal, mediodorsal thalamus; VTA, ventral tegmental area; Hyp, hypothalamus; PAG, periaqueductal gray; L, left; R, right.

Figure 4.

Core regions of the CAN as revealed by a conjunction analysis of autonomic modulatory regions across the three task categories. L, Left; R, right.