Neurally mediated syncope

Syncope refers to a transient loss of consciousness due to a sudden fall in blood pressure that temporarily impairs the blood supply to the brain.

The most frequent cause of hypotension and syncope (fainting) in apparently normal individuals is neurally mediated syncope (NMS), which may also be referred as vasovagal, vasodepressor, or reflex syncope.

NMS is an acute hemodynamic reaction produced by a sudden change in the normal pattern of autonomic nervous system activities that maintains blood pressure in the standing posture. Sympathetic activity suddenly decreases while parasympathetic acutely increases.

Clinical trials are currently being conducted to test the effectiveness of pharmacological agents in the treatment of this disorder.

Literature on neurally mediated syncope

• Syncope: The Diagnostic Value of Head-Up Tilt Testing
• Neurally Mediated Syncope: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Treatment
• Mediated Syncope snd Syncope Due to Autonomic Failure: Differences and Similarities
• Editorial: Why Do We Faint?

Documents above marked are viewable with the free Adobe^TM Acrobat^TM Reader. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, click on the image below to download it.