Veterinary Neuropharmacology

AFFERENT FIBRES

Components:

• Afferent fibres
  • It is the first link in the reflex arcs of the ANS.
  • Arise from viseral structures
  • Generally non myelinated
  • Cell bodies are in the dorsal root ganglia of spinal nerves and sensory ganglia of cranial nerves
  • Convey information to the brain and then to the system to be acted upon by efferents .
• Central connections
  • Within CNS afferent information is processed, integrated and responses initiated.
  • The structures involved are:
  • Spinal cord - which directly connect afferents and efferents, mediates reflex changes in blood pressure, sweating and micturation
  • Medulla oblongata - which controls blood pressure and respiration
  • Hypothalamus - is the  principal locus of integration, control body temperature, water balance, carbohydrate metabolism, sexual reflexes and autonomic emotional responses
  • Cerebral cortex - it controls volitional changes and conditioned autonomic responses.