Syncope : an integrative physiological approach

Abstract

This thesis contains various studies on syncope. The first part of the thesis systematically reviews the terminology of syncope and related conditions. The second part of the thesis questions whether orthostatic hypotension in autonomic failure is associated with increased venous pooling upon standing. In the third part the role hyperventilation in the pathophysiology of syncope is examined. Furthermore the potential of respiratory manoeuvres to combat orthostatic hypotension in autonomic failure is evaluated. The final part of the thesis contains various clinical studies, including the assessment of the accuracy of eyewitness accounts in transient loss of consciousness.