ABSTRACT
It is clear that the enteric plexus is not a simple post-ganglionic relay between the central nervous system and effector tissues in the gut. Rather, it is an independent, sensorimotor programmer of local gastrointestinal events. Although this plexus is capable of limited independent regulatory function, it is equally clear that vagal efferent preganglionic input to the plexus provides the overall coordination and control over the proximal gastrointestinal tract. Having two types of efferent vagal input to the stomach, excitatory and inhibitory, allows for a considerable range of control over gastric function by visceral reflex inputs. The almost rampant confusion about central nervous system control of autonomic functions lay in the general lack of knowledge regarding the efferent connections of the hypothalamus and limbic system on the one hand, and the afferent connections of vago-vagal reflex circuits on the other. Nuclei of the dorsal vagal complex are primary components responsible for the direct autonomic control of gastrointestinal functions.
