 Dear students, in this topic we shall discuss the central control of cardiovascular system. The sensory inputs of cardiovascular system are integrated in the cardiovascular center of the brain. This center is located in the medulla oblongata and pons of the brain. This center induces reflex effects which maintain an adequate arterial blood pressure. Dear students, the status of cardiovascular system is monitored by a variety of sensory receptors, which include paroreceptors, chemoreceptors, cardiac mechanoreceptors and thermoreceptors. The paroreceptors monitor blood pressure at various sites, while chemoreceptors monitor carbon dioxide, oxygen and pH levels of the blood. In addition to these sensory receptors, the medullary cardiovascular center also receives inputs from the medullary respiratory center, hypothalamus, amygdala nucleus and cortex region of the brain. The output from the cardiovascular center is fed to the sympathetic, parasympathetic and autonomic motor neurons. These neurons innervate the heart, the smooth muscles of arterioles and veins and also innervate the brain's medullary respiratory center. The sympathetic control occurs when the sympathetic nerves are stimulated and cause increased rate and force of contraction of the heart and also induce vasoconstriction. As a result, a marked increase in arterial blood pressure and cardiac output is observed. The parasympathetic nerve stimulation causes the reverse effects, that is it reserves in drop in the arterial blood pressure and cardiac output.