Human cingulate cortex and autonomic control: converging neuroimaging and clinical evidence

Human anterior cingulate function has been explained primarily within a cognitive framework. We used functional MRI experiments with simultaneous electrocardiography to examine regional brain activity associated with autonomic cardiovascular control during performance of cognitive and motor tasks. U...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brain (London, England : 1878) England : 1878), 2003-10, Vol.126 (10), p.2139-2152
Main Authors: Critchley, Hugo D., Mathias, Christopher J., Josephs, Oliver, O’Doherty, John, Zanini, Sergio, Dewar, Bonnie‐Kate, Cipolotti, Lisa, Shallice, Tim, Dolan, Raymond J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ACC = anterior cingulate cortex
Adult
Anatomical correlates of behavior
autonomic
Behavioral psychophysiology
Biological and medical sciences
Brain Injury, Chronic - psychology
cingulate cortex
cognition
Cognition - physiology
Electrocardiography
Female
fMRI = functional MRI
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gyrus Cinguli - injuries
heart rate
Heart Rate - physiology
HF = high frequency
HRV = heart rate variability
Humans
LF = low frequency
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Neuropsychological Tests
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Stress, Psychological - physiopathology
sympathetic
Sympathetic Nervous System - physiology
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Summary:Human anterior cingulate function has been explained primarily within a cognitive framework. We used functional MRI experiments with simultaneous electrocardiography to examine regional brain activity associated with autonomic cardiovascular control during performance of cognitive and motor tasks. Using indices of heart rate variability, and high‐ and low‐frequency power in the cardiac rhythm, we observed activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) related to sympathetic modulation of heart rate that was dissociable from cognitive and motor‐related activity. The findings predict that during effortful cognitive and motor behaviour the dorsal ACC supports the generation of associated autonomic states of cardiovascular arousal. We subsequently tested this prediction by studying three patients with focal damage involving the ACC while they performed effortful cognitive and motor tests. Each showed abnormalities in autonomic cardiovascular responses with blunted autonomic arousal to mental stress when compared with 147 normal subjects tested in identical fashion. Thus, converging neuroimaging and clinical findings suggest that ACC function mediates context‐driven modulation of bodily arousal states.
ISSN:0006-8950
1460-2156
DOI:10.1093/brain/awg216