VasomotorikKern

VasomotorikKern is a term encountered in some German-language neuroanatomy texts to denote a vasomotor nucleus involved in the regulation of vascular tone. In standard neurophysiology, control of blood vessel diameter is described as arising from a distributed brainstem network rather than from a single discrete nucleus. Core regions implicated in central vasomotor control include the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and the caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM), as well as input from the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and projections to the intermediolateral cell column (IML) of the spinal cord, where sympathetic preganglionic neurons reside.

Anatomy and terminology: If used, the term VasomotorikKern often points to a functional ensemble located in the medullary ventrolateral region, and in many contexts it is understood to correspond to the RVLM or to a broader functional network rather than to a single, clearly delimited anatomical nucleus. Because vasomotor regulation is distributed, the exact boundaries of a so-called VasomotorikKern can vary between sources.

Physiology: The vasomotor system modulates sympathetic outflow to peripheral vessels. Activation of the central vasomotor network increases sympathetic tone, promoting vasoconstriction and a rise in systemic blood pressure; decreased activity has the opposite effect. This regulation works in concert with baroreceptor and chemoreceptor inputs to maintain hemodynamic stability.

Clinical relevance: Disruption or dysregulation of central vasomotor control can contribute to autonomic disorders, such as unstable blood pressure, orthostatic hypotension, or hypertensive crises. Lesions affecting brainstem autonomic centers can impair the ability to maintain vascular tone.

See also: Vasomotor center, rostral ventrolateral medulla, autonomic nervous system, sympathetic regulation.