01/02/2026
The artery brain circuit (ABC) and the heart brain circuit (HBC) engage many large, functionally diverse brain regions. Although these circuits share major multifunctional and highly heterogeneous nuclei, it remains unclear whether they involve the same neuronal subtypes. Thus, whether identical neurons connect to both arteries and the heart has yet to be defined. The brain nuclei implicated in these circuits have been broadly associated with functions relevant to cardiovascular regulation and disease, including the insula (emotions), the amygdala (memory), the hypothalamus (stress), the rostral ventrolateral medulla (stress), the nucleus tractus solitarius (body weight), and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (metabolism). For clarity, many additional functions and connections of these nuclei are not shown.
Reference: Mohanta SK, Yin C, Weber C, et al. Cardiovascular Brain Circuits. Circulation Research. 2023
