Abstract

For the autonomic nervous system (ANS), several studies have been reported on heart rate variability (HRV), the central autonomic network (CAN), the brain-heart axis (BHA), and heart-brain interactions (HBI). Regarding the BHA, three distinct pathways have been proposed: neural, mechanical, and biochemical. HBI includes two categories: cardiac effects of neurological disease and neurological effects of cardiac disease. The BHA functions as a sophisticated communication system that connects central nervous system (CNS) operations with cardiovascular regulation through the ANS, neurohumoral, and neuroanatomical connections. Future research on the BHA includes electrophysiological methods, enhanced neuroimaging, interdisciplinary teamwork, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning applications in brain-heart research.