The hierarchical basis of neurovisceral integration


Author: Ryan Smith1, Julian F Thayer2, Sahib S Khalsa3, Richard D Lane4

Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, 1501 N. Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85724-5002, United States. Electronic address: rsmith@psychiatry.arizona.edu.

<sup>2</sup> Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.

<sup>3</sup> Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, United States; University of Tulsa, Oxley College of Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, United States.

<sup>4</sup> Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, 1501 N. Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85724-5002, United States.
Conference/Journal: Neurosci Biobehav Rev
Date published: 2017 Apr
Other:
 Volume ID: 75   ,  Pages: 274-296   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.02.003.   ,  Word Count: 191  
    The neurovisceral integration (NVI) model was originally proposed to account for observed relationships between peripheral physiology, cognitive performance, and emotional/physical health. This model has also garnered a considerable amount of empirical support, largely from studies examining cardiac vagal control. However, recent advances in functional neuroanatomy, and in computational neuroscience, have yet to be incorporated into the NVI model. Here we present an updated/expanded version of the NVI model that incorporates these advances. Based on a review of studies of structural/functional anatomy, we first describe an eight-level hierarchy of nervous system structures, and the contribution that each level plausibly makes to vagal control. Second, we review recent work on a class of computational models of brain function known as "predictive coding" models. We illustrate how the computational dynamics of these models, when implemented within our proposed vagal control hierarchy, can increase understanding of the relationship between vagal control and both cognitive performance and emotional/physical health. We conclude by discussing novel implications of this updated NVI model for future research.



KEYWORDS: Cardiac vagal control; Cognitive control; Emotion; Heart rate variability; Interoception; Neurovisceral integration; Predictive coding.



PMID: 28188890 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.02.003