This study describes the use of simultaneous EEG and ECG recordings to characterize the physiological mechanisms of various types of provoked syncope.
Syncope, or fainting, is by definition a transient reaction, and only rarely does the physician have an opportunity to make careful observations during a spontaneous episode. Certain types of syncope which may be provoked at will, notably carotid sinus syncope,1spontaneous and induced orthostatic hypotension2and some rare examples of vagovagal syncope,3have been studied extensively. The introduction of the inkwriting electroencephalograph (Grass) offers a method of obtaining continuous simultaneous records of the electrical activity of the brain (electroencephalogram) and of the heart (electrocardiogram) during the syncopal experience and of correlating these with other clinical and physiologic data. In this paper we are reporting on the clinical, electroencephalographic, electrocardiographic and circulatory responses observed during a variety of syncopal reactions, including syncope provoked by venipuncture, by distention of the duodenum, colon, rectum or vagina, by hyperventilation and by carotid sinus reflex. The mechanisms of these various types of
George L. Engel (Tue,) studied this question.