"This book. . .ably edited by Gert J. Ter Horst, brings together the state-of-the-art knowledge on autonomic control of the heart, hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal modulation, heart pain, modulation by humoral factors and the relationship between cognitive/neurospychiatric disorders and heart disease. The importance of these interactions cannot be overstressed, not only for understanding cardziac function and physiology, but also for its impact on sudden cardiac death."-From the Foreword by Douglas P. Zipes, MD
"This is an excellent resource for medical students, researchers, and clinicians (including neurologists, cardiologists, and psychiatrists). . .This is a very timely and successful attempt to synthesize a huge amount of new information regarding complex neurocardiac interactions in one book."-Doody's Health Sciences Book Review Journal
"This book is well-designed,written by experts in their field and contains many interesting and thought-provoking ideas. It is an excellent description of the state of knowledge in this very important field. It is a reference text for clinicians, mainly those working in the domains of cardiology, cardiac surgery, internal medicine and neuropsychiatry, but also for physiologists interested in the interactions of that cardiovascular and nervous system."-Acta Cardiologica
3 Stars from Doody
An intimate relationship between CNS, the neurohumoral system, the autonomic nerve system, and regulation of the heart activity is described in this text. Although not clearly stated, I believe this book is written to cover in one book the large amount of new information about complex neurocardiac interactions. This is an excellent resource for medical students, researchers, and clinicians (including neurologists, cardiologists, and psychiatrists). A wide area of complex interactions, starting from anatomy and organization of neural pathways both at CNS and peripheral levels and extending to humoral neuromodulation of the heart activities, are covered. Part I is an excellent, updated review of newer, non-classical neurotransmitters, emotional neurocircuitries, circadian regulation, and effects of neuropathology on cardiovascular regulation. The neuroanatomy section, in which the intracardiac nerve supply is described, could be enriched with human data regarding effects of surgical incisions and radio-frequency ablation in the areas rich with intracardiac ganglia on electrophysiological properties of sinus and atrioventricular nodes. Regarding the extracardiac nerve system, the role of stellate ganglion in mediating differential regional electrophysiological effects on sinus, atrioventricular node, and myocardium is clinically relevant and would be a nice addition to Part I as well. Part II is an excellent review of stress hormones and their effects on the heart. This chapter is a timely update on the complexity of physiological actions of stress hormones beyond ACTH. Cardiac pain is a subject of Part III, in which a detailed review of cardiac nociceptive system anatomy,pathophysioligy, clinical syndromes, and new insights into syndrome X is provided. The angiotensinogen II and vasopressin relationship and the role of angiotensinogen II receptor subtypes in the release of vasopressin are reviewed in a Part IV. Multi-level actions of renin-angiotensin system at peripheral and CNS levels in the regulation of cardiovascular homeostasis are described in Part IV as well. The role of mediators of inflammation in atherogenesis is also discussed. The relationship of neuropsychiatric disorders and cardiac disease and the association of depression with increased cardiovascular mortality are very interesting clinical topics and are well covered in the last chapter. This is a very timely and successful attempt to synthesize a huge amount of new information regarding complex neurocardiac interactions in one book. The clinical usefulness of this book would be enhanced by including a chapter on neural effects on cardiac arrhythmias as well as on important clinical syndromes, like long QT syndrome, carotid sinus syndrome, and neurocardiogenic syncope, which hopefully we will find in the next edition.
There are physiological bases for associations of the heart with emotions, and with the apparently universal increased mortality in winter. Thirteen contributions integrate expertise in cardiology and neuroscience in overviewing the latest knowledge about head-heart interactions. The first five chapters explain autonomic control of cardiovascular functions, the neural supply of the heart, and neuropathology. Part II examines the effects of stress on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal system and the heart. Part III treats the neurobiology and neuroimaging of cardiac pain. Next, humoral factors in cardiovascular regulation and as mediators of inflammation in coronary artery disease are considered. Finally, the relationship between heart disease and cognitive/neuropsychiatric disorders is discussed. Includes photomicrographs, schematic drawings, and nice large print. The editor is with the U. of Groningen, The Netherlands. Contributors hail from the US, The Netherlands, Scandinavia, the UK, and Australia. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Reviewer: Audris J. Bredikis, MD (Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine)
Description: An intimate relationship between CNS, the neurohumoral system, the autonomic nerve system, and regulation of the heart activity is described in this text.
Purpose: Although not clearly stated, I believe this book is written to cover in one book the large amount of new information about complex neurocardiac interactions.
Audience: This is an excellent resource for medical students, researchers, and clinicians (including neurologists, cardiologists, and psychiatrists).
Features: A wide area of complex interactions, starting from anatomy and organization of neural pathways both at CNS and peripheral levels and extending to humoral neuromodulation of the heart activities, are covered. Part I is an excellent, updated review of newer, non-classical neurotransmitters, emotional neurocircuitries, circadian regulation, and effects of neuropathology on cardiovascular regulation. The neuroanatomy section, in which the intracardiac nerve supply is described, could be enriched with human data regarding effects of surgical incisions and radio-frequency ablation in the areas rich with intracardiac ganglia on electrophysiological properties of sinus and atrioventricular nodes. Regarding the extracardiac nerve system, the role of stellate ganglion in mediating differential regional electrophysiological effects on sinus, atrioventricular node, and myocardium is clinically relevant and would be a nice addition to Part I as well. Part II is an excellent review of stress hormones and their effects on the heart. This chapter is a timely update on the complexity of physiological actions of stress hormones beyond ACTH. Cardiac pain is a subject of Part III, in which a detailed review of cardiac nociceptive system anatomy, pathophysioligy, clinical syndromes, and new insights into syndrome X is provided. The angiotensinogen II and vasopressin relationship and the role of angiotensinogen II receptor subtypes in the release of vasopressin are reviewed in a Part IV. Multi-level actions of renin-angiotensin system at peripheral and CNS levels in the regulation of cardiovascular homeostasis are described in Part IV as well. The role of mediators of inflammation in atherogenesis is also discussed. The relationship of neuropsychiatric disorders and cardiac disease and the association of depression with increased cardiovascular mortality are very interesting clinical topics and are well covered in the last chapter.
Assessment: This is a very timely and successful attempt to synthesize a huge amount of new information regarding complex neurocardiac interactions in one book. The clinical usefulness of this book would be enhanced by including a chapter on neural effects on cardiac arrhythmias as well as on important clinical syndromes, like long QT syndrome, carotid sinus syndrome, and neurocardiogenic syncope, which hopefully we will find in the next edition.
