Role of the Area Postrema in Determining the Increased Cardiac Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Heart Failure

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In heart failure there is a large increase in sympathetic nerve activity to the heart that has detrimental effects on the heart and can induce sudden death. The areas in the brain causing the increased nerve activity are unknown. We will investigate the role of the area postrema, which is a window to the brain for hormones in the blood. We have evidence that this brain site maintains the high level of nerve activity in heart failure, possibly stimulated by hormones circulating in the blood.