The autonomic nervous system is known as the control centre for involuntary bodily processes such as the beating of our hearts and our breathing. The fact that this part of the nervous system also has the ability to spontaneously restore muscle function following a nerve injury was discovered by a research group at MedUni Vienna's Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery as part of their study recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience. Their findings may form the basis for improving and developing interventions to treat nerve lesions.
The research team led by Vlad Tereshenko and Oskar Aszmann from the Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Limb Reconstruction at MedUni Vienna's Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery discovered this facet of the interaction between nerves and muscles -- which was previously unknown to science -- in the course of its preclinical research on facial nerves and muscles. After a nerve has been injured or severed, it is no longer able to control the motor function of the facial muscles, resulting in facial paralysis in the animal model.
In some cases, the scientists observed spontaneous recovery of muscle function days or weeks after the nerve lesion. Using novel, complex techniques, they were able to establish that the autonomic nervous system takes over the function of the injured nerve, as it were. "Until now, we were unaware that the autonomic nervous system can control muscle motor function with nerve impulses. As we have seen in our experiments, the parasympathetic nerve fibres form new functional neuromuscular synapses to do this. At the same time, the patterns of the muscle fibres are modified and, hence, the physiological properties of the autonomously reinnervated muscles are changed," explains first author Vlad Tereshenko, outlining the key findings from the study.
Potential actor in nerve reconstruction
Following injuries or certain diseases, nerves can temporarily or permanently lose their ability to provide motor control to muscles. Well-established therapeutic concepts such as the relocation of nerves or nerve transplants are now available to remedy the resultant motor deficits. However, clinical outcomes may be affected by several factors, such as the slow rate of nerve regeneration or the lack of donor nerves. "By identifying this previously unknown ability of the autonomic nervous system, we have discovered a new potential actor in nerve reconstruction. The results of our study can therefore help to improve existing therapeutic measures and to develop new ones," says Vlad Tereshenko, looking into the future. Follow-up studies are expected to deepen our knowledge of this new facet of the neuromuscular system. One of the questions to be addressed is whether and how autonomic nerve fibres can be surgically relocated in order to restore muscle function on a temporary or permanent basis.
FAQs
The autonomic nervous system is known as the control center for involuntary bodily processes such as the beating of our hearts and our breathing. The fact that this part of the nervous system also has the ability to spontaneously restore muscle function following a nerve injury was recently discovered.
When was the autonomic nervous system discovered? ›
John Newport Langley (1852–1925), the Cambridge physiologist, first applied the term in 1898 in a paper in the Journal of Physiology: 'The autonomic nervous system means the nervous system of the glands and of the involuntary muscle ...
What is unique about autonomic nervous system? ›
Also known as the visceral or involuntary nervous system, the ANS functions without conscious, voluntary control. Because it innervates cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, and various endocrine and exocrine glands, this nervous system influences the activity of most tissues and organ systems in the body.
What is a rare disease of the autonomic nervous system? ›
Familial dysautonomia is a rare inherited condition that affects the development of the autonomic and sensory nervous systems. People with this condition have unstable blood pressure that alternates between being too high and too low.
What is disorder of the autonomic nervous system unspecified? ›
Autonomic dysfunction develops when the nerves of the ANS are damaged. This condition is called autonomic neuropathy or dysautonomia. Autonomic dysfunction can range from mild to life-threatening. It can affect part of the ANS or the entire ANS.
Who first discovered the nervous system? ›
The Ancient Greek discovery of the nervous system: Alcmaeon, Praxagoras and Herophilus.
How did the autonomic nervous system evolve? ›
The foundations of the autonomic nervous system evolved before the appearance of vertebrates and the autonomic nervous system of the primitive vertebrates is rudimentary. Nevertheless, the division between the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems evolved amongst the earliest vertebrates.
What is the life expectancy of someone with autonomic dysfunction? ›
Neurologic function declines gradually over time. The autonomic symptoms often become debilitating. Survival is typically 6-9 years from the time of diagnosis.
Can you get disability for autonomic nervous system disorder? ›
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), Dysautonomia can be considered a disability under certain circ*mstances. The SSA evaluates claims based on the severity of the condition, how long a person has been experiencing it, and how it limits an individual's ability to perform substantial gainful activity.
What autoimmune disease attacks the autonomic nervous system? ›
Peripheral autoimmune autonomic disorders include autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy (AAG), paraneoplastic autonomic neuropathy, and acute autonomic and sensory neuropathy. AAG manifests with acute or subacute onset of generalized or selective autonomic failure.
Signs and symptoms of autonomic neuropathy depend on which nerves are damaged. They might include: Dizziness and fainting when standing, caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure.
What kind of doctor do you see for autonomic dysfunction? ›
Neurologist. A neurologist is a medical doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating, and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system, including those affecting the autonomic nervous system.
When did nervous systems first appear? ›
We propose that neurons and nervous systems evolved among thin, motile, microbe-eating animals during the Ediacaran period (635–543 million years ago).
What is the oldest nervous system? ›
Researchers have found one of the oldest and most detailed fossils of the central nervous system yet identified, from a crustacean-like animal that lived more than 500 million years ago.
Why is the autonomic nervous system so named? ›
The autonomic nervous system regulates certain body processes, such as blood pressure and the rate of breathing. This system works automatically (autonomously), without a person's conscious effort. Disorders of the autonomic nervous system can affect any body part or process.
When did the nervous system appears for the first time? ›
Cnidarians. Platyhelminthes.
