Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

The polyvagal perspective.

Stephen W Porges1

  • 1University of Illinois at Chicago, Brain-Body Center, Department of Psychiatry, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. sporges@uic.edu

Biological Psychology
|October 20, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Prior Adversity and Current Functioning Difficulties Predict Likelihood of Meeting the Criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Scoring Above the Cutoff for Post-Traumatic Growth.

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

From Molecules to Meaning: Integrating Neuropeptides, Sociostasis, and Hormesis in the Brain-Heart Axis.

Current issues in molecular biology·2026
Same author

When A Critique Becomes Untenable: A Scholarly Response To Grossman Et Al.'S Evaluation Of Polyvagal Theory.

Clinical neuropsychiatry·2026
Same author

Somatic Psychoeducational Intervention Is Associated with Increased Oxytocin Levels, Improved Autonomic Function, and Reduced Psychological Distress Symptoms in Medical and Social Care Professionals.

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)·2025
Same author

Polyvagal theory: a journey from physiological observation to neural innervation and clinical insight.

Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience·2025
Same author

Mindful awareness and its association with cumulative adversity, autonomic reactivity, and current functioning.

Frontiers in psychology·2025
Same journal

Effects of transcranial electric stimulation on attentional functions in healthy adults: A meta-analysis.

Biological psychology·2026
Same journal

Afterword to the Biological Psychology Special Issue:Contributions of the Vagus to Psychological Functioning and Health:Reflections upon genuine relations between vagus-nerve functioning and psychological processes.

Biological psychology·2026
Same journal

Characterizing individual differences in SCR responsivity: A hybrid mixture and single-trial modeling framework.

Biological psychology·2026
Same journal

Your Heart Beats Next To Mine: Daily Physiological Synchrony Among Black And White ADRD Caregiver-Care Recipient Dyads.

Biological psychology·2026
Same journal

Stimulus arousal level and savoring: An electrocortical investigation.

Biological psychology·2026
Same journal

Neural response to reward and pathological personality dimensions.

Biological psychology·2026
See all related articles

The polyvagal theory offers a new framework for understanding the autonomic nervous system

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Biology
  • Autonomic Nervous System Research

Background:

  • The autonomic nervous system (ANS) governs involuntary bodily functions.
  • Previous models often viewed ANS function peripherally.
  • A need existed for a more integrated, evolutionary perspective on autonomic regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explicitly state the core principles of the polyvagal theory.
  • To introduce the key features and implications of a polyvagal perspective.
  • To highlight the role of phylogenetic shifts in ANS regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual framework development.
  • Review of neurophysiological mechanisms.
  • Analysis of phylogenetic changes in neural regulation.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • The polyvagal theory emphasizes the ANS as a unified system.
  • It identifies specific neural circuits regulating autonomic states.
  • Autonomic reactivity is framed as adaptive within vertebrate evolution.

Conclusions:

  • The polyvagal perspective offers novel insights into biobehavioral processes.
  • Understanding neurophysiology and phylogenetic shifts redefines questions about autonomic function.
  • Phylogenetic changes in neural structures are crucial for understanding the adaptive function of the two vagal systems.