CARDIOLOGY · NEUROSCIENCE · CONSCIOUSNESS
Heart and Brain: Unexpected Connections
English overview of the Italian article by Massimo Fioranelli
For centuries, the brain has been regarded as the principal seat of thought, emotion and consciousness, while the heart has been described primarily as a muscular pump. Contemporary neurocardiology offers a more interconnected perspective.
Signals from the cardiovascular system contribute to the brain’s continuous representation of the body’s internal state. This process, often discussed in relation to interoception, provides an important framework for exploring the connections among physiology, emotion and self-awareness.
The dialogue between heart and brain does not imply that the heart independently generates conscious thought. Rather, it encourages a broader account of how bodily processes participate in human experience and how clinical medicine can attend to the person as a whole.
Editorial note: This is a concise English overview, not a complete translation of the original article.