Figure above: Critchley H D, Harrison N A. Visceral influences on brain and behavior[J]. Neuron, 2013, 77(4): 624-638.

Figure 3. Diagram Illustrating Central Afferent and Efferent Neural Pathways of Interaction Mediating the Central Control of Autonomic Bodily State The figure links discrete brain regions according to their association with visceral afferent sympathetic and parasympathetic drives (e.g., Critchley, 2009; Critchley et al., 2011). A number of questions arise from this framework, including how hemispheric lateralization relates to autonomic control, and the major sites of humoral influence (e.g., AP connectivity to NTS). While all parts of the neuroaxis are presented in this model, inferred coupling of autonomic control to cognitive functions suggest greater sensitivity of cognitive control (anterior cingulate), hedonic motivation (insula, amygdala, subgenual cingulate) and psychomotor (basal ganglia) processes than mnemonic functions (amygdala, see text) and little impact on early sensory processes. The validity of such inferences needs establishing.