ReviewThe Journal of physiology2013
Myths and realities of the cardiac vagus.
Review in The Journal of physiology, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 107 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
107 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 187 citations in OpenAlex.
- Quantitative meta-analysis of heart rate variability finds reduced parasympathetic cardiac tone in women compared to men during laboratory-based social stress.Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews · 2020Pooled it
- Effect and Safety of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Recovery of Upper Limb Motor Function in Subacute Ischemic Stroke Patients: A Randomized Pilot Study.Neural plasticity · 2020Trial
- Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation Combined with Robotic Rehabilitation Improves Upper Limb Function after Stroke.Neural plasticity · 2017Trial
- Exercise and Autonomic Cardiovascular Function-Insights From Spinal Cord-Injured Humans: A Narrative Review.Acta physiologica (Oxford, England) · 2026Review
- Association Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and a Composite Index of Cardiac Autonomic Control: Potential Implications for Exercise Training Evaluation.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- BDNF/TrkB Signaling in Intracardiac Ganglia Modulates Cardiac Parasympathetic Tone.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Effects of Exercise Training on Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Cardiac Regulation in Elite Athletes: Insight from a Composite Index Proxy of Autonomic Control.Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2026Article
- Prioritizing Discovery and Advancements in Arrhythmia Therapies: NIH/NHLBI Workshop.JACC. Clinical electrophysiology · 2026Review
- Brain-heart interactions in late-onset major depressive disorder revealed by multimodal HRV-driven fMRI.Communications biology · 2026Article
- Neural signaling contributes to heart formation and growth in the invertebrate chordate, Ciona robusta.PLoS biology · 2026Article
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation by Focused Ultrasound Attenuates Acute Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury Predominantly Through Cholinergic Anti-inflammatory Pathway.Cardiovascular drugs and therapy · 2026Article
- The mechanism and clinical research of vagus nerve electrical stimulation in the treatment of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.iScience · 2026Review
- Glial cells in the heart: Implications for their roles in health and disease.The Journal of physiology · 2026Review
- Noradrenergic and cholinergic innervation of the normal human heart and changes associated with cardiomyopathy.Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) · 2026Article
- Apelin‑13 in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) attenuates myocardial ischemia through V1a receptors in PVN/nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and GARγ2 in NTS.International journal of molecular medicine · 2025Article
- Autonomic imbalance in cardiovascular disease: molecular mechanisms and emerging therapeutics.American journal of physiology. Cell physiology · 2025Review
- The Heart-Brain Axis in the Artificial Intelligence Era: Integrating Old and New Insights Towards New Targeting and Innovative Neuro- and Cardio-Therapeutics.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Autonomic Nervous System Control in Male and Female Elite Soccer Players: Importance of Different Training Routines and Perceived Stress.Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2025Article
- Molecular and cellular neurocardiology in heart disease.The Journal of physiology · 2025Review
- Cardiac neuromodulation with acute intermittent hypoxia in rats with spinal cord injury.The Journal of physiology · 2025Article
47 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
There is continuing belief that cardiac parasympathetic postganglionic fibres are sparse or absent from the ventricles. This review of the literature shows that the supposition is a myth. Early studies considered that fine silver-stained fibres coursing amongst ventricle myocardial cells were most likely cardiac parasympathetic postganglionic fibres. The conclusions were later supported by acetyl cholinesterase staining using a method that appeared not to be associated with noradrenaline nerve fibres. The conclusion is critically examined in the light of several recent histological studies using the acetyl cholinesterase method and also a more definitive technique (CHAT), that suggest a widespread location of parasympathetic ganglia and a relatively dense parasympathetic innervation of ventricular muscle in a range of mammals including man. The many studies demonstrating acetylcholine release in the ventricle on vagal nerve stimulation and a high density of acetylcholine M2 receptors is in accord with this as are tests of ventricular performance from many physiological studies. Selective control of cardiac functions by anatomically segregated parasympathetic ganglia is discussed. It is argued that the influence of vagal stimulation on ventricular myocardial action potential refractory period, duration, force and rhythm is evidence that vagal fibres have close apposition to myocardial fibres. This is supported by clear evidence of accentuated antagonism between sympathetic activity and vagal activity in the ventricle and also by direct effects of vagal activity independent of sympathetic activity. The idea of differential control of atrial and ventricular physiology by vagal C and vagal B preganglionic fibres is examined as well as differences in chemical phenotypes and their function. The latter is reflected in medullary and supramedullary control. Reference is made to the importance of this knowledge to understanding the normal physiology of cardiac autonomic control and significance to pathology.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.