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Cardiovascular Autonomic Function: From Bench to Bedside—2nd Edition

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Cardiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 146

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates involuntary physiological processes and is essential in controlling most of the body's organ systems through a series of neural reflexes. It is also responsible for modulating and adapting the function of all organs to constantly changing external and internal conditions to maintain the body's homeostasis.

Dysfunctions of the autonomic nervous system are associated with the development of various diseases and underlie various major common internal and neurological conditions (such as diabetes, hypertension, and Parkinson's disease). Recently, neuromodulatory techniques have emerged as potential therapeutic approaches for the complete or partial treatment of autonomic disorders. Additionally, the ANS has been shown to be involved in the co-modulation of body functions, together with the immune system, the neuroendocrine system, and the inflammatory system, thus forming an important interface between the central nervous system, the environment, and the development of chronic non-communicable diseases.

This Special Issue aims to gather reviews and original research articles that provide up-to-date information and future perspectives on various areas of ANS physiology and clinical medicine that affect all levels of autonomic function. In this second edition, emphasis will also be placed on describing the molecular mechanisms that may underlie autonomic dysfunction.

We invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, covering all aspects of the autonomic nervous system in humans and animals, including functional anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and therapeutics, behav-ioural aspects, neuromodulation, the dysfunction and ageing of autonomic neurons and their circuits, and the integrative role and emotional, physical, and motivational aspects of autonomic regulation.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Vera Geraldes
Dr. Isabel Rocha
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • dysautonomia
  • heart rate variability
  • autonomic function testing
  • cardiovascular autonomic function
  • autonomic neuroscience
  • syncope
  • orthostatic hypotension
  • baroreflex
  • autonomic molecular mechanisms

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 2079 KB  
Article
Short-Term Cardiovascular Compensatory Responses to Varying Levels of Orthostatic Stress During Active Standing in Older Adults
by Dihogo Gama de Matos, Jefferson Lima de Santana, Felipe J. Aidar, Stephen M. Cornish, Gordon G. Giesbrecht, Albená Nunes-Silva, Satish R. Raj, Roman Romero-Ortuno, Todd A. Duhamel and Rodrigo Villar
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(20), 7202; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14207202 (registering DOI) - 13 Oct 2025
Abstract
Background: The cardiovascular system of older adults is significantly impacted by aging, contributing to blood pressure (BP) dysregulation, particularly during postural transitions. This study compared the short-term cardiovascular compensatory responses of younger adults (YA) and older adults (OA) during sit-to-stand and lie-to-stand. Methods: [...] Read more.
Background: The cardiovascular system of older adults is significantly impacted by aging, contributing to blood pressure (BP) dysregulation, particularly during postural transitions. This study compared the short-term cardiovascular compensatory responses of younger adults (YA) and older adults (OA) during sit-to-stand and lie-to-stand. Methods: Participants underwent two active standing orthostatic stress tests, involving 5 min of sitting or 10 min of lying, followed by up to 7 min of standing. Beat-to-beat cardiovascular parameters were assessed using a Finometer (Finapres Medical Systems). Systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and HR were measured at baseline, immediately on standing, and throughout four specific phases after standing: phase 1 (0–30 s), phase 2 (30–60 s), phase 3 (60–80 s), and phase 4 (300–420 s). CO-SVR matching was evaluated to assess BP regulation timing. Results: Compared to YA, OA exhibited higher SBP, DBP, MAP, and SVR but lower HR, CO, and SV at baseline. Immediately on standing, OA experienced a greater drop in SBP, DBP, MAP, and SVR, blunted HR, reduced CO, and higher SV. The short-term compensatory responses were delayed (30–60 s), particularly in lie-to-stand, due to a transient CO and SVR mismatch observed in phase 1 and subsequent BP stabilization from phases 2–4. Conclusions: OA exhibited short-term compensatory cardiovascular dysregulation, particularly during the transition from a lying to a standing position. Full article
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