Nonexistence of the so‐called cerebral form of carotid sinus syncope

Abstract

Syncopal responses upon carotid compression were observed in 100 patients with cerbrovascular disease, and in 154 patients whose complaints were due to causes other than cerebrovascular disease. It is concluded that an irritable carotid sinus may be associated with a cardioinhibitory effect with syncope due to cardiac asystole. The most common syncopal response induced by carotid compression is the result of partial or complete occlusion of the contralateral carotid, contralateral anterior cerebral, or basilar-vertebral systems. It is believed that many of the responses in this group have been wrongly interpreted as the cerebral reflex type of carotid sinus irritability related to cerebral vasoconstriction resulting from neck compression.