Talk:Sympathetic nervous system/Archive 1

Various 2004
Hello. Does anyone have any questions about the sympathetic nervous system that don't get answered here? Any constructive comments on how to improve the entry —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.38.14.158 (talk • contribs) 23:29, 3 September 2004


 * There's still a lot more to cover, including the anatomy of the SNS, its chemistry (norepinephrine's not even mentioned, and epinephrine only gets noted as a related topic), more on where its located (e.g. sympathetic chain ganglion), affects on visceral organs, etc., etc. It also needs some cleanup to conform to the Manual of Style. I don't have time right now, but I'll be happy to make some of these additions. --Diberri | Talk 23:51, Sep 3, 2004 (UTC)

Hey, you made a comment! Wow! Thanks! I'm glad to get the input. Sure, any additions would be welcome.

Anything in particular that strikes you as the primary stylistic concerns?

In what context would you want to see norepinephrine discussed? Talking about the idea of ligands and receptors in general? Show its effects on the SNS?

Let me know, and thanks again.

By the way, what does UTC stand for? It appears after your name and the Talk symbol. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.38.14.158 (talk • contribs) 03:16, 10 September 2004


 * UTC stands for Coordinated Universal Time and is a way to represent a date/time without specifying a particular region. So in my signature, the UTC is used to tell you want "time zone" the "23:51, Sep 3, 2004" refers to. By the way, it's a good idea to sign your posts with ~ at the end; that will identify who you are and what time you posted, which is quite useful for following a conversation.


 * The Manual of Style says to only bold the first occurrence of the article's title. So there's no need to bold sympathetic nervous system and other terms in the article. It's distracting for many users. Also, there's too much space between paragraphs; removing the extra whitespace would be great. Also, breaking the article into sections would be really nice.


 * Content-wise, I'd like to see norepinephrine and acetyl choline mentioned in the context of neurotransmission in the sympathetic NS. Differences in pre- and postganglionic NTs comes to mind, and it would be good to mention specific physiological effects of NE. Also, more anatomy would be good; mentioning the branching patterns and lengths of pre- and postgang. fibers compared to those in the parasympathetic NS is notable, as are the locations of various autonomic ganglia.


 * I hope those comments are useful. I should probably just start contributing rather than blabbering on here :-) Before you go making huge changes, though, I suggest you create an account so that it's easier to keep track of your edits, etc. Best wishes, Diberri | Talk 06:00, Sep 10, 2004 (UTC)

Hi, I hope I haven't offended anyone by editing this article a bit. I thought the caveman bit was a bit much given the paucity of information elsewhere; I think what's left is more than sufficient to give the general idea of what fight or flight means. I'm wondering what we should have here and what we should have in the autonomic nervous system article. I think this article could still use a nice table detailing all of the effects of various adrenergic receptors (i.e. differences between alpha1 and beta2 on skeletal muscle). Mgmei 02:46, 11 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Hi. Thank you both for your valuable comments! I was hoping to construct the article so that it would not scare off people without a science background, but could draw them in and educate them. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks, again for your interest and involvement. I will try look into the sign up process next time. It's Sept. 27th, and I estimate 7:00 UTC. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.38.14.158 (talk • contribs) 27 September 2004

Various 2005
In this article the "parasympathetic nervous" system is shorted to PNS and in the article about the "Nervous system" the "peripheral nervous" system is shorted to PNS. What is correct? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.145.162.3 (talk • contribs) 12:05, 16 November 2005


 * Both uses of PNS are correct. Acronyms get reused all the time in biology and medicine; as long as proper context is provided there shouldn't be a problem. --David Iberri 20:15, 16 November 2005 (UTC)

The Institute of Heartmath
Hi all. I added some info about the possibility of voluntarily altering autonomic nervous system function through biofeedback training and meditative exercise. The Institute of Heartmath has found that heart-focused appreciative meditative practice induces a balancing shift in autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, involving a decrease in sympathetic activity and an increase in the parasympathetic nervous system (a finding which suggests the ANS isn’t in fact autonomic). This can be easily detected through a spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV), which is a commonly used non-invasive measure of ANS activity. Interestingly, heart-based meditation increases sine-wave like variations in beat-to-beat HRV, and the IOH has found this to be indicative of greater ANS balance and general psychological coherence, as well as a wealth of other benefits. For more information, see:

--Rollin McCraty, D. Childre, "The Grateful Heart: The Psychophysiology of Appreciation" Chapter published in: The Psychology of Gratitude, edited by R. A. Emmons and M. E. McCullough. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004: 230-255. --McCraty, Rollin, “The Energetic Heart: Bioelectromagnetic Communication Within and Between People,” Chapter published in: Clinical Applications of Bioelectromagnetic Medicine, edited by P. J. Rosch and M. S. Markov. New York: Marcel Dekker, 2004: 541-562. --McCraty, Rollin, R. T. Bradley, D. Tomasino “The Resonant Heart” Shift: At the Frontiers of Consciousness Dec. 2004-Feb. 2005; No. 5:15-19. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-intuition/The_Resonant_Heart.pdf --McCraty, Rollin, et al., Science of the Heart: Exploring the role of the Heart in Human Performance, An overview of research conducted by the Institute of Heartmath, Boulder Creek, CA: 2001. --McCraty, Rollin. Heart-Brain Neurodynamics: The Making of Emotions. Heartmath Research Center, Institute of Heartmath, Publication No. 03-015. Boulder Creek, CA, 2003. --McCraty, Rollin and Doc Childre. The Appreciative Heart: The Psychophysiology of Positive Emotions and Optimal Functioning HeartMath Research Center, Institute of HeartMath, Publication No. 02-026. Boulder Creek, CA, 2002.

International researchers have also noted changes in ANS activity during Tantric Yoga and Zen Meditation: --Takahashi T, et al. “Changes in EEG and autonomic nervous activity during meditation and their association with personality traits. International Journal of Psychophysiology. 2005 Feb;55(2):199-207. --Corby JC, et al. “Psychophysiological correlates of the practice of Tantric Yoga meditation.” Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1978 May;35(5):571-7.

Enjoy --Vcondary 15:24, 25 June 2006 (UTC)

Hi. Glad to have an exchange of ideas occurring. Thanks for spending time on this particular article.

A couple of thoughts.

First, it had been my hope that this article could be a resource for people who may want to learn about the sympathetic nervous system, but who have a limited anatomical/physiological understanding (i.e. high school students, non-science majors in university, working people). I'm concerned these folks might take a look at the article, but give up trying to understand the SNS if the vocabulary seems intimidating (i.e. "sympathetico-adrenal"). Is there a way we can construct the article so that it is both anatomically and physiologically correct, but also less intimidating to people who lack, and therefore may need, a structural understanding of the body? We could certainly include the more detailed physiological points, but can we do it in a way that keeps the layperson in mind?

Also, are we staying focused on elucidating the function of this part of the nervous system, and choosing our words so that the reader can infer there are different perspectives on SNS function? (If we start discussing issues of body/mind, maybe we want to do that in a separate section, or another article, so we haven't drifted from the topic at hand - nervous system, sympathetic).

I think several physiological examples (how the SNS increases heart rate, dilates pupils, etc.) helps show the reader that the SNS is an activation system of the body. In this context, it could be helpful to show the vantage point that biofeedback interacts with this activation system, because it's another way of driving home the main point to a beginner (i.e. The sympathetic nervous system is the part of the nervous system that often has a stimulating effect on the body.)

Thanks for the information you provided and the cites (HeartMath, Journal of Psychophysiology) (Can you post links to the last two cites? Journal of Psychophysiology, etc.  I'd like to take a look at them, but couldn't find the referenced articles online.)

In the FUNCTION section, instead of saying "However, recent reasearch by Heartmath shows" could we say  "Other perspectives suggest that the activation of the sympathetic nervous system can be impacted by biofeedback, which may have a calming effect." (Then list citations, including information by Heartmath. There are many citations about the impact of biofeedback.  Other cites could be included to help the reader see the breadth of this particular vantage point.)

We might also say in the FUNCTION section: "In tyring to understand the SNS, Biochemists focus on the action of receptors and chemical substances that bind to them." That introduces the beginning reader to the subject, and when we arrive at INFORMATION TRANSMISSION, the reader is more prepared for the bigger biochemical concepts of "acetylcholine", "epinephrine" and different types of receptors.

I'd like to help the reader 1) come away with the main idea of the sympathetic nervous system as an activator, 2) write the article so that it is useful to many, but so a beginnner does not get scared by vocabulary, and structural complexity, and 3) allow the reader to wonder about the various ways of looking at how the SNS action is controlled (voluntary, not voluntary, chemical, biofeedback).

I'd like to try revising what we have here currently, if no one has any objections.

Please let me know.

Thanks.

Eddie Zattara 04:54, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

Hi Eddie, glad to have you as part of the conversation! You’re right, the statement about the Institute of Heartmath (IOH) does come across a bit too strong and decisive; however, I think it would be unjust to weaken the claim to the status of a mere perspective, mainly because the IOH has produced a wealth of enormously innovative and compelling research along those lines. They’ve found that a person’s beat-to-beat heart-rate-variability (HRV) directly reflects their Autonomic Nervous System balance, and through employing heart-based meditative exercises, one can learn to quickly shift their HRV, emotional state, and ANS balance to a profound degree. On the other hand, one can easily reverse that shift in ANS balance by becoming really angry and pissed off (thereby activating the Sympathetic Nervous System and deactivating the Parasympathetic branches). Taken together, these types of findings elicit numerous fundamental questions about the nature of the ANS. After all, considering the Autonomic Nervous System is extremely sensitive and responsive to intentional manipulation (with practice), it may not in fact qualify as entirely “autonomic” (at least in the wholly vegetative sense of the word), so the entire concept may require some rethinking. Anyhow, check out these links:

Institute of Heartmath Research Overviews:

Basic Research, Clinical, Organizational, and Educational Studies:

http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-papers/index.html

Emotional Energetics, Intuition, and Epigenetics Research Publications: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-intuition/index.html http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-intuition/overview.html

Scientific e-Books: http://www.heartmath.org/research/e-books/index.html Science of The Heart: Exploring the Role of the Heart in Human Performance: An Overview of Research Conducted by the Institute of HeartMath(recommended) http://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart/index.html

Follow the above links additional IOH articles about the ANS, including: --Rollin McCraty, W. A. Tiller, M. Atkinson, “Cardiac Coherence: A New Noninvasive Measure of Autonomic System Order,” Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 1996;2(1):52-65.

--Rollin McCraty, S. Lanson, M. Atkinson, “Assessment of Autonomic Function and Balance in Chronic Fatigue Patients Using 24-Hour Heart Rate Variability Analysis,” Clinical Autonomic Research 1997;7(5):237.

--Rollin McCraty, “The Effects of Different Emotional States and a New Stress Management Intervention on Autonomic Regulation of the Heart,” In: Cardiovascular Health: Coming Together for the 21st Century, Proceedings, San Francisco CA, 1998.

--“The Autonomic Assessment Report: A New Noninvasive Measure of Autonomic Function and Balance,” In: Proceedings of the Fifteenth Annual International Symposium on Man and His Environment in Health and Disease, Dallas TX, 1997.

--Rollin McCraty, B. Barrios-Choplin, D. Rozman, M. Atkinson, A. D. Watkins, “The Impact of a New Emotional Self-Management Program on Stress, Emotions, Heart Rate Variability, DHEA and Cortisol,” Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science 1998;33(2):151-170.

--Rollin McCraty, M. Atkinson, W. A. Tiller, G. Rein “New Electrophysiological Correlates Associated With Intentional Heart Focus,” Subtle Energies 1995;4(3):251-262.

By the way, the Int. Journal of Psychophysiology articles were not written by members of the Institute of Heartmath, but you can find their abstracts by searching at www.pubmed.gov. Also, I'm certainly not opposed to further editing, so go nuts. - Vcondary --72.145.139.250 19:59, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

The Institute of Heartmath is on Quackwatch's list of Questionable Organizations and the whole "Institution" seems to be nothing more than a marketing outlet for the New Age products of Heartmath LLC. These include devices such as the dubious emWave. Therefore, I think any references to Heartmath should be removed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.188.8.9 (talk • contribs) 06:36, 4 August 2006

Deciding to remove the Institute of Heartmath references due to its listing on a extremely biased quackwatch site is rather absurd reasoning. As a dogmatic champion of scientific conservatism, the quackwatch also lists numerous progressive colleges as "questionable," including the University of Berkley. Hence, considering the undiscerning nature of the quackwatch's list of "questionable" resources, the site lacks credibility. Furthermore, it should be noted that the Institute of Heartmath is a non-profit scientific research organization, not some kind of "marketing outlet."

You should consider the IOH research studies and their stringent scientific methodology before black-listing them on such an insubstantial and heavily biased foundation. --66.156.9.229 03:30, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

Sorry to cut you off: the University of Berkley is not an accredited University[1 ][2 ][3 ] and has been convicted of fraud. It should not be confused with the University of California, Berkeley. Please find other arguments to challenge the credibility of the Quackwatch site. --ChiuTaitai (talk) 12:53, 17 December 2011 (UTC)

For example, check out:

Applied Heartmath Research
 * G. Rein, R. McCraty, M. Atkinson. “The Physiological and Psychological Effects of Compassion and Anger,” Journal of Advancement in Medicine, 1995;8(2):87-105. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-papers/IgAPaper/index.html
 * R. McCraty, M. Atkinson, W. A. Tiller, G. Rein, A.D. Watkins, “The Effects of Emotions on Short-Term Power Spectrum Analysis of Heart Rate Variability,” American Journal of Cardiology, 1995;76(14):1089-1093.
 * R. McCraty, W. A. Tiller, M. Atkinson, “Cardiac Coherence: A New Noninvasive Measure of Autonomic System Order,” Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 1996;2(1):52-65.
 * “Head-Heart Entrainment: A Preliminary Survey Paper” presented at the Key West Brain-Mind, Applied Neurophysiology, EEG Biofeedback 4th Annual Advanced Colloquium, Key West, FL, 1996. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-papers/HeadHeart/index.html
 * R. McCraty, M. Atkinson, W. A. Tiller, G. Rein “New Electrophysiological Correlates Associated With Intentional Heart Focus,” Subtle Energies 1995;4(3):251-262. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-papers/HeartFocus/index.html
 * Rollin McCraty, Mike Atkinson, Dana Tomasino, and William A. Tiller. “The Electricity of Touch: Detection and measurement of cardiac energy exchange between people.” In Karl H. Pribram, Ed., Brain and Values: Is a Biological Science of Values Possible, Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1998, 359-379.
 * J. Andrew Armour, “Neurocardiology: Anatomical and Functional Principles” - A dense technical monograph detailing the anatomy and physiology of the cardiac nervous system.
 * S. St. Martin, “The Garden of the Heart: HeartMath-The New Biotechnology for Treating Children with ADD/ADHD and Arrhythmia,” HeartMath Research Center, IOH Publication No. 05-017. 2005. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-papers/garden-of-the-heart.html
 * R. McCraty, D. Tomasino, “Heart Rhythm Coherence Feedback: A New Tool for Stress, Rehabilitation, and Performance Enhancement,” In: Proceedings of the First Baltic Forum on Neuronal Regulation and Biofeedback, Riga, Latvia, November 2-5, 2004. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-papers/HRV_Biofeedback2.pdf
 * L. Arguelles, R. McCraty, R. A. Rees, “The Heart in Holistic Education,” Encounter: Education for Meaning and Social Justice, 2003:16(3):13-21. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-papers/heart-in-education.html
 * R. McCraty, M. Atkinson, D. Tomasino, “Impact of a Workplace Stress Reduction Program on Blood Pressure and Emotional Health in Hypertensive Employees,” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2003;9(3):355-369. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/blood-pressure-study.html
 * R. McCraty, et al.,
 * “The Role of Physiological Coherence in the Detection and Measurement of Cardiac Energy Exchange Between People,”
 * “The Freeze-Framer: A Stress Management Training and Heart Rhythm Education System for Increasing Physiological Coherence,” and “Music and the Immune System,” In: Proceedings of the Tenth International Montreux Congress on Stress, Montreux, Switzerland, 1999. URLs:
 * http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-abstracts/role-of-physiological.html
 * http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-abstracts/the-freeze-framer.html
 * http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-abstracts/music-and-immune.html
 * “Impact of the Power to Change Performance Program on Stress and Health Risks in Correctional Officers,” HeartMath Research Center, IOH, Report No. 03-014, November 2003.
 * “The Impact of an Emotional Self-Management Skills Course on Psychosocial Functioning and Autonomic Recovery to Stress in Middle School Children,” Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science 1999;34(4):246-268. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-papers/impact-of-emotional.html
 * “Improving Test-Taking Skills and Academic Performance in High School Students Using HeartMath Learning Enhancement Tools,” HeartMath Research Center, IOH, Publication No. 00-010. 2000.
 * Rollin McCraty, “Heart Rhythm Coherence - An Emerging Area of Biofeedback,” Biofeedback 2002;30(1):23-25. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-papers/instrumentation-bio.pdf
 * “Influence of Cardiac Afferent Input on Heart-Brain Synchronization and Cognitive Performance,” International Journal of Psychophysiology, 2002;45(1-2):72-7.
 * “The Effects of Different Emotional States and a New Stress Management Intervention on Autonomic Regulation of the Heart,” In: Cardiovascular Health: Coming Together for the 21st Century, Proceedings, San Francisco CA, 1998. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-abstracts/different-emotional.html
 * “The Autonomic Assessment Report: A New Noninvasive Measure of Autonomic Function and Balance,” In: Proceedings of the Fifteenth Annual International Symposium on Man and His Environment in Health and Disease, Dallas TX, 1997. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-abstracts/autonomic-assessment.html
 * “The Scientific Role of the Heart in Learning and Performance,” HeartMath Research Center, Institute of HeartMath, Publication No. 02-030, 2002.
 * F. Luskin, M. Reitz, K. Newell, T. G. Quinn, W. Haskell, “A Controlled Pilot Study of Stress Management Training of Elderly Patients With Congestive Heart Failure,” Preventive Cardiology 2002;5(4):168-172, 176. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-papers/pilot-stress-study.pdf
 * T. Richards, R. McCraty, M. Atkinson, “Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy of Brain Activation During Heart Rhythm Coherence,” In: Toward a Science of Consciousness Conference Proceedings, Neuroscience section, Abstract #111, Tucson, AZ, 2002. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-abstracts/mri-during-coherence.html
 * R. McCraty, M. Atkinson, D. Tomasino, W. P. Stuppy, “Analysis of Twenty-Four Hour Heart Rate Variability in Patients with Panic Disorder,” Biological Psychology 2001;56(2-3):131-150. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-papers/analysis-twenty-four.html
 * R. McCraty, M. Atkinson, L. Lipsenthal, “Emotional Self-Regulation Program Enhances Psychological Health and Quality of Life in Patients with Diabetes,” HeartMath Research Center, IOH Publication No. 00-006. 2000. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-papers/diabetes-patients.html
 * D. A. Murphy, et al., “The Heart Reinnervates After Transplantation,” Annals of Thoracic Surgery 2000;69 (6):1769-1781.
 * B. Barrios-Choplin, R. McCraty, J. Sundram, M. Atkinson, “The Effect of Employee Self-Management Training on Personal and Organizational Quality,” HeartMath Research Center, Institute of HeartMath, Publication No. 99-083, 1999.
 * R. McCraty, D. Tomasino, M. Atkinson, J. Sundram, “Impact of the HeartMath Self-Management Skills Program on Physiological and Psychological Stress in Police Officers,” HeartMath Research Center, Institute of HeartMath, Publication No. 99-075, 1999.
 * R. McCraty, B. Barrios-Choplin, M. Atkinson, D. Tomasino, “The Effects of Different Types of Music on Mood, Tension, and Mental Clarity,” Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 1998:4(1):75-84. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-papers/effect-music-mood.html
 * K. Umetani, D. H. Singer, R. McCraty, M. Atkinson, “24 Hour Time Domain Heart Rate Variability and Heart Rate: Relationships to Age and Gender over Nine Decades,” Journal of the American College of Cardiology 1998;31(3):593-601. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-papers/24-hour-time-hrv.html
 * R. McCraty, B. Barrios-Choplin, D. Rozman, M. Atkinson, A. D. Watkins, “The Impact of a New Emotional Self-Management Program on Stress, Emotions, Heart Rate Variability, DHEA and Cortisol,” Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science 1998;33(2):151-170.
 * B. Barrios-Choplin, R. McCraty, B. Cryer, “An Inner Quality Approach to Reducing Stress and Improving Physical and Emotional Wellbeing at Work,” Stress Medicine 1997;13(13):193-201.
 * R. McCraty, S. Lanson, M. Atkinson, “Assessment of Autonomic Function and Balance in Chronic Fatigue Patients Using 24-Hour Heart Rate Variability Analysis,” Clinical Autonomic Research 1997;7(5):237. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-abstracts/autonomic-function.html
 * D. Rozman, R. McCraty, B. Barrios-Choplin, “An Effective Stress Prevention Training: Research From Four Diverse Organizations,” In: Proceedings of the Ninth International Montreux Congress on Stress, Montreux, Switzerland, 1997. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-abstracts/stress-prevention.html
 * D. Rozman, R. Whitaker, T. Beckman, D. Jones, “A Pilot Intervention Program Which Reduces Psychological Symptomatology in Individuals with Human Immunodeficiency Virus,” Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 1996;4(4):226-232. URL: http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-papers/immunodeficiency.html
 * R. McCraty, M. Atkinson, G. Rein, A. D. Watkins, “Music Enhances the Effect of Positive Emotional States on Salivary IgA,” Stress Medicine, 1996;12(3):167-175.
 * R. McCraty, M. Atkinson, W. A. Tiller, G. Rein, A.D. Watkins, “The Effects of Emotions on Short-Term Power Spectrum Analysis of Heart Rate Variability,” American Journal of Cardiology, 1995;76(14):1089-1093.

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.156.9.229 (talk • contribs) 03:30, 22 September 2006

Voluntary goose bumps
Hello, can someone explain to me why I can voluntarily make my body have goose bumps whenever I want. I never practiced any kind of yoga and don't need to meditate to do it. It just happens, straight away. I'd like to know whether that's a sympton of any kind, or if it's harmless. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.87.220.30 (talk • contribs) 11:48, 4 August 2006


 * Sounds to me like you have conscious motor control over usually-unconscious muscles. That's not that uncommon, some people can control the muscles that make their ears wiggle, or other muscles that you usually can't move. The goosebumps reaction is caused by a million little muscles.... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.72.21.221 (talk) 04:48, 6 November 2007 (UTC)

See Wiki Talk discussion on physiological and emotional significance of voluntary goose bumps

Signal transduction
Not to be too picky, but many anatomists (in the US at least) don't consider afferent signal transduction to be part of the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous system; they consider all afferents to be a separate component of the peripheral nervous system. 129.101.158.55 18:17, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

missunderstanding and miss-explainning of "evolutionary theory suggestions"
Hi! This phrase in the beginning:


 * Some evolutionary theorists suggest that the sympathetic nervous system operated in early organisms to maintain survival (Evolution of Consciousness, Robert Ornstein[1]; et al.), as the sympathetic nervous system is responsible for priming the body for action.

.. is quite nonsense, or obvious-sense, since all "biologic-things" are thought by evolutionary theory to operate in any organisms to maintain survival (at least they certainly try to maintain survival based on previous outcomes). Maybe the correct meaning pretended would be to say that it had a preponderant role in our past... . For me, anyway, this is the type of "everydayman thinking" about our past-as-primitive-animals that can't aknowledge that we are animals, and gets amazed at thinking that we have "things from animals" as heritage. We are animals, and we think also, get over it. (lots of kisses to all, and thanks for so much nice info!!).

I will change-delete it myself, but since I will probably not follow track, feel free to re-turn it. Pablo2garcia 15:16, 20 January 2007 (UTC)

Etymology
Could someone post why this is called the sympathetic nervous system (i.e. what is it "sympathetic" with)? Conversely, why is the parasympathetic nervous system called that? 128.104.230.197 18:16, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Axons link to axons?
I was a bit surprised upon reading the following : "In order to reach the target organs and glands, the axons must travel long distances in the body, and, to accomplish this, many axons link up with the axon of a second cell. The ends of the axons do not make direct contact, but rather link across a space, the synapse." Though I know that axon-to-axon synapses do exist, is really this what is being referred to here ? Aren't we talking about the sympathetic ganglia ? Could someone more knowledgeable than myself please correct or clarify this section ? 04/12/2008 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Callacatacat (talk • contribs) 21:52, 4 December 2008

Thank you for pointing this out. I corrected the wording. Nbansal4732 (talk) 01:05, 11 March 2009 (UTC)