Key result
Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity following brain injury lacks standardized diagnostic criteria and relies on empirical treatment.
Why the study?
Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity lacks uniform treatment guidelines and is prone to underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis, affecting patient prognosis.
This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity to improve diagnosis and management in survivors of severe acquired brain injury.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Management of paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity remains empirical without standardized criteria; leaves open consensus definitions and prospective trials.
Paroxysmal sympathoexcitatory syndrome is a clinical syndrome, recognized in a subgroup of survivors of severe acquired brain injury, of simultaneous, paroxysmal transient increases in sympathetic [elevated heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, temperature, sweating] and motor [posturing] activity. Coupled with the absence of uniform treatment guidelines, it is prone to underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis, leading to the adoption of inappropriate treatment protocols, which may adversely affect the prognosis of patients. This narrative review summarized the existing literature and provided a comprehensive account of the research history and terminology of PSH, epidemiology and pathogenesis, diagnostic criteria, therapeutic options, and prognosis, hoping to bring new ideas to the clinical treatment of PSH.
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Yin et al. (2025) conducted a review in Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity. Management of paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity was evaluated. Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity is a severe syndrome following acquired brain injury that currently lacks uniform diagnostic criteria and standardized treatment protocols, relying largely on empirical management.
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