Anaesthesia Fundamentals | Physiology | Central and Autonomic Regulation of Cardiac Function

Central and Autonomic Regulation of Cardiac Function
Session overview
Description
This session provides an outline of the central and autonomic mechanisms which regulate cardiac function.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Describe and explain cardiac intrinsic autorhythmicity
• Describe and explain the role of cardiovascular receptor reflexes in the regulation of cardiac function
• Describe the central control pathways that regulate cardiac function
• Describe and explain the regulation of cardiac function by the autonomic nervous system

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should:

• Understand the intrinsic activity of the sino-atrial node (SAN) and atrio-ventricular node (AVN)
• Be able to describe cardiac action potentials
• Be able to describe the cardiac cycle