The Polyvagal Perspective—Porges 2016

The polyvagal theory introduced a new perspective on autonomic function and behavior, including an appreciation of the autonomic nervous system as a "system," the identification of neural circuits involved in autonomic state regulation, and an interpretation of autonomic reactivity as adaptive within the context of vertebrate autonomic nervous system phylogeny. The study aims to explain the theory and offer a polyvagal viewpoint. The polyvagal approach highlights how neurophysiological mechanisms and evolutionary alterations in brain control lead to distinct questions, paradigms, explanations, and conclusions than peripheral models. The polyvagal viewpoint highlights evolutionary changes in brain structures governing the autonomic nervous system and how these modifications give insights into the adaptive function and neural regulation of the two vagal systems.

Porges S. W. (2007). The polyvagal perspective. Biological psychology, 74(2), 116–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.06.009