The Area Postrema: A Brain Monitor and Integrator of Systemic Autonomic State
Abstract
The area postrema is a medullary structure lying at the base of the fourth ventricle. The area postrema's privileged location outside of the blood-brain barrier make this sensory circumventricular organ a vital player in the control of autonomic functions by the central nervous system. By virtue of its lack of tight junctions between endothelial cells in this densely vascularized structure and the presence of fenestrated capillaries, peptide and other physiological signals borne in the blood have direct access to neurons that project to brain areas with important roles in the autonomic control of many physiological systems, including the cardiovascular system and systems controlling feeding and metabolism. However, the area postrema is not simply a conduit through which signals flow into the brain, but it is now being recognized as the initial site of integration for these signals as they enter the circuitry of the central nervous system. NEUROSCIENTIST 14(2):182—194, 2008. DOI: 10.1177/1073858407311100
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Both GLP-1R and GIPR are expressed outside the blood-brain barrier, including in the area postrema, which is important for food intake.
“Both GLP-1R and GIPR are expressed outside the blood–brain barrier, including in the area postrema, which is important for food intake37.”
From A GIPR antagonist conjugated to GLP-1 analogues promotes weight loss with improved metabolic parameters in preclinical and phase 1 settings (2024) · cites this paper as [37]
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“In concert, the area postrema, the nucleus tractus solitarius and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) form the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) that serves as a commanding platform for the autonomic nervous system, navigating gastrointestinal motility, secretory activity and pancreatic hormone release (Price et al.,…”
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- Authors
- Price, C. J., Hoyda, T. D., & Ferguson, A. V.
- Affiliations
- Queen's University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Ferguson, Alastair V.
- Venue
- The Neuroscientist
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2007-11-26
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 182-194
- ISSN
- 1073-8584 (ISSN-L)
- 1089-4098
- OpenAlex
- W2007948281
- Cited by
- 257
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 6.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Neuroscientist (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroscience of respiration and sleep
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Keywords
- area postrema, circumventricular organs, autonomic regulation, blood-brain barrier, fenestrated capillaries, cardiovascular regulation, signal integration, fourth ventricle, medulla
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Autonomic Nervous System, Brain Chemistry, Feeding Behavior, Humans, Metabolism, Neural Pathways, Neurons, Area Postrema
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