On the basis of current knowledge of neuroanatomy and our previous research with cardiac vagal tone, we have proposed the vagal circuit of emotion regulation. The vagal circuit of emotion regulation incorporates lateral brain function with the regulation of the peripheral autonomic nervous system in the expression of emotion. The vagus and the vagal circuit do not function independently of other neurophysiological and neuroendocrine systems. Research on brain activity (see Dawson, in this volume; Fox, in this volume) and research on adrenocortical activity (see Stansbury & Gunnar, in this volume) demonstrate that EEG and cortisol are related to emotion states and to individual differences similar to those that we have investigated. The vagal circuit emphasizes not only the vagus but also the lateralization of specific brain structures in emotion regulation. The emphasis of the vagal circuit on right-brain-stem structures stimulates several testable hypotheses regarding the function of specific structures in the right brain in emotion regulation. These speculations are consistent with other reports (see Dawson, in this volume; Fox, in this volume) describing asymmetrical EEG activity during expressed emotions. Moreover, the vagal circuit does not exist independently of the brain structures and peptide systems regulating cortisol (see Stansbury & Gunnar, in this volume). Areas in the brain stem regulating vagal activity are also sensitive to the peptides that regulate cortisol (e.g., vasopressin and corticotropin-releasing hormone). In this essay, we have provided information regarding the relation between vagal tone and emotion regulation. A review of research indicates that baseline levels of cardiac vagal tone and vagal tone reactivity abilities are associated with behavioral measures of reactivity, the expression of emotion, and self-regulation skills. Thus, we propose that cardiac vagal tone can serve as an index of emotion regulation. Historically, the vagus and other components of the parasympathetic nervous system have not been incorporated in theories of emotion. Recent developments in methodology have enabled us to define and accurately quantify cardiac vagal tone. Theories relating the parasympathetic nervous system to the expression and regulation of emotion are now being tested in several laboratories.
Cerebellar influences on the various substructures in the Papez Circuit are indicated by the following. 1. Anatomical studies indicate that the major midbrain areas to which this circuit projects are : 1) ventral tegmental area; 2) interpeduncular area; and 3) periaqueductal gray areas; and these same areas project back to the limbic system. There are projections to these regions from the cerebellar nuclei, as indicated by terminal degeneration studies which show that cerebellar nuclei connect, mostly by fine fibers, with a continuum of cells located on either side of the midline in the ventral tegmentum of the midbrain. Observations that the cerebellum also projects to the locus ceruleus (NA system) and VTA (DA system) indicate that cerebellar influences can also reach the limbic areas via the catecholamine fiber bundles. 2. Electrophysiological studies indicate that vermiam and fastigial stimulation induce evoked responses in the basolateral amygdala, the hippocampus, and the septum, with latencies to the peak of first wave ranging from 4 to 8 msec and to the second wave of 16-29 msec. Citations from the physiological literature indicate that electrical stimulation of the cerebellum, especially the vermis, can modify a wide range of responses which involve functional activities of either the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous systems. 3. Studies on electrically induced afterdischarges in the septum, hippocampus, and amygdala indicate that cerebellar stimulation can shorten the duration of or terminate the afterdischarges, and the site of lowest threshold is the midline cortex. Focal cooling of the vermis promotes prolongation of the afterdischarges as does pretreatment of animals with 6-OH dopamine. Chemical lesions in the catecholamine system induced by 6-OH dopamine reduce the effectiveness of the cerebellar stimulation, as do lesions of nucleus fastigii. These data are interpreted to indicate that the cerebellum can exert a tonic suppressor (inhibitory?) influence on substructures within the Papez Circuit. 4. Citations from animal behavioral studies indicate that electrical stimulation of the anterior cerebellum can induce responses such as arousal, predatory attack, and feeding which mimic those obtained by amygdaloid stimulation. Fastigial stimulation can produce drowsiness and EEG changes which resemble the sleep patterns resulting from stimulation of the ventral amygdala.
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