Vagal tone: Neuroanatomy, function, and application

Reciprocal communication between the brain and the cardiovascular system is important in sustaining neurobehavioral states that allow organisms to cope with their environment. The vagal circuit is one of the key brain cardio-regulatory circuits implicated in emotion regulation and stress responsiveness. Here we briefly cover the neuroanatomy of the vagal circuit, the functional significance of tonic cardiac vagal function, and ways of quantifying this measure for research purposes. We also illustrate the application of the vagal tone construct for research on stress vulnerability in clinical and nonclinical populations. © 2010 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.