The proposed conference will be the seventh in a series of FASEB Meetings dedicated to the Neural Control of Circulation. This topic is of ever increasing interest because of its relevance to major pathophysiological problems such as dysrhythmias, cardiac pain, hypertension, autonomic hyperactivity after spinal cord injury, sleep apnea etc. The main objective of the planned conference is to allow scientists and clinicians investigators to focus on closely interrelated aspects of the neural control of circulation for a week. This conference should help to open new areas of research and to provide a meaningful reexamination of previously accepted ideas. The recent advances in cellular and molecular techniques are making their impact in this very complex area of integrative physiology. This was evident in many of the presentations at the 1994 and 1996 conferences. The next program will continue to have a solid representation in cellular and molecular techniques that are most likely to provide new breakthroughs in this branch of neuroscience. However, we will maintain a vigorous emphasis on integrative physiological approaches which provide essential concepts to interpret clinical problems and potential strategies for pharmacological intervention. The conference will be organized around 9 plenary sessions each consisting of 4 presentations with ample time for discussion in between. The following topics will be covered: cardiac pain/afferent mechanisms and central processing; autonomic dysfunction after spinal cord injury; neurogenic models of long- term arterial pressure control; patterned autonomic responses during fever; role of medullary raphe in cardiovascular and nociceptive modulation; cardiovascular regulation during sleep and arousal and links to cardiovascular disease; neural regulation of circulation during exercise; molecular and genetic approaches to the study of cardiovascular regulations; imidazoline receptors and their endogenous ligands in the control of blood pressure. The 37 proposed speakers have already formally agreed to participate. Poster sessions and a poster presentation by selected students will complete the formal schedule, the rest of the time being dedicated to informal interactions.
