(346b) Modeling and Analysis of Endogenous Closed-Loop Control of the Cardiovascular System

The baroreceptor reflex is a multi-input, multi-output physiological control system that regulates short-term blood pressure by modulating parasympathetic and sympathetic nerve activity between the brainstem and the heart. The opposing effects of parasympathetic and sympathetic nerve activity work in conjunction to maintain cardiovascular homeostasis, with imbalances in activity associated with cardiovascular disease. Recently, attention has focused on the role of the intrinsic cardiac nervous system as the final control point of nervous regulation of the heart. Here, we extend existing quantitative closed-loop models of the baroreceptor reflex by incorporating into the model the intrinsic cardiac nervous system. We use this model to investigate, via simulation, the role of the intrinsic cardiac nervous system in integrating and modulating parasympathetic and sympathetic nerve activity in healthy and diseased states.