Cardiac vagal motor neurons

Since their discovery five decades ago, cardiac vagal motor neurons (CVNs) have been studied for their roles in autonomic control of cardiac function. However, it is only within the past decade that our understanding of CVNs has rapidly progressed. Driven by technological advances in neuroscience, novel findings are revealing genetic markers of CVN’s subpopulation in the nucleus ambiguus (CVN NA ), resolving controversial roles of CVN in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (CVN DMV ), and dissecting the complexity of CVN-related neural circuitry. The roles of CVNs have also expanded in the mechanisms of disease pathophysiology beyond the typical autonomic disorders, highlighting the therapeutic potential of targeting CVNs. In this review, we discuss recent advances in CVNs subtypes, neural circuits, and roles in cardiometabolic disease and mental health-related disorders pathophysiology. We also present current challenges and a prospective outlook on the field. • Two anatomical populations of cardiac vagal neurons (CVNs) exist, one in the nucleus ambiguus (NA) and another in dorsal motor neurons (DMV). In NA, two subtypes of CVN in the nucleus ambiguus –ACV (ambiguus cardiovascular) and ACP (ambiguus cardiopulmonary)– have been discovered in mice. • Inputs to CVNs underlying basic function are well defined yet inputs involved in higher-order function remain unclear. • Metabolic health robustly modulates CVN activity. • Increasing cardiac vagal tone via vagal nerve stimulation provides a promising new treatment modality in psychiatric and cardiometabolic disorders.