What is the Origin of Neural Command Signals?

This term is a construct of neurophysiology and systems biology, describing the communication hierarchy within the nervous system. The concept is highly relevant to endocrinology because the hypothalamus, a key hormonal control center, is heavily influenced by descending neural signals from the limbic system and cortex, which link emotional and cognitive states to endocrine release.

What is the Mechanism of Neural Command Signals?

The mechanism involves the generation of an action potential in a motor or pre-autonomic neuron, followed by the rapid, directed transmission of this signal down the axon to the target cell, typically a muscle fiber or an endocrine gland cell. At the synapse, neurotransmitters, which are chemical messengers, transduce the electrical signal into a chemical one that binds to receptors on the target cell. For example, neural command signals from the hypothalamus regulate the pulsatile release of releasing hormones that govern the entire pituitary-endocrine axis.

Neural Command Signals ∞ Area

Neural Command Signals

Meaning

Neural command signals are the electrical and chemical impulses generated by the central nervous system, particularly from higher brain centers like the motor and prefrontal cortices, that are transmitted via efferent pathways to peripheral targets to initiate, modulate, or terminate specific physiological and behavioral actions. These signals represent the executive output of the nervous system, controlling everything from muscle contraction to complex endocrine feedback loops.