Psychiatric syncope: a new look at an old disease



	Full Text (PDF)
	Alert me when this article is cited
	Alert me if a correction is posted
	Citation Map



	Email this article to a Colleague
	Similar articles in this journal
	Similar articles in PubMed
	Alert me to new issues of the journal
	Add to My Articles & Searches
	Download to citation manager



	Citing Articles via HighWire
	Citing Articles via Google Scholar



	Articles by Linzer, M.
	Articles by Krishnan, K. R.
	Search for Related Content



	PubMed Citation
	Articles by Linzer, M.
	Articles by Krishnan, K. R.

Psychosomatics 1990; 31:181-188
Copyright © 1990 by Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine

ORIGINAL RESEARCH REPORTS

Psychiatric syncope: a new look at an old disease

M Linzer, A Felder, A Hackel, AJ Perry, I Varia, ML Melville and KR Krishnan
Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.

Psychiatric disorders in patients with unexplained syncope or presyncope have received little attention in the recent medical literature. Seventy-two patients with unexplained syncope and presyncope referred to the Duke Syncope Clinic received a standardized evaluation. Symptoms appeared to be explained by a psychiatric diagnosis in 17 (24%) patients (panic disorder in 13%, and major depression in 11%). These patients were younger than other patients with syncope and presyncope (p less than .001) and had more disability due to their syncope and presyncope (p less than .01). They also had more frequent episodes of syncope (p less than .005) and more symptoms as a part of their prodrome (p less than .0001). Treatment aimed at the psychiatric diagnosis resulted in a remission from syncopal or presyncopal symptoms in 90% of patients who complied with therapy. The authors conclude that psychiatric disorders are common in patients with syncope and presyncope, that certain characteristics of the patient and prodrome may alert physicians to a psychiatric diagnosis, and that directed treatment may result in relief from symptoms.

This article has been cited by other articles:

F. Giada, I. Silvestri, A. Rossillo, P. G. Nicotera, G. F. Manzillo, and A. Raviele
Psychiatric profile, quality of life and risk of syncopal recurrence in patients with tilt-induced vasovagal syncope
Europace, January 1, 2005; 7(5): 465 - 471.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Guidelines on Management (diagnosis and treatment) of syncope - update 2004: The Task Force on Syncope, European Society of Cardiology
Europace, January 1, 2004; 6(6): 467 - 537.
[Full Text] [PDF]

D. Hinton, S. Hinton, K. Um, A. Chea, and S. Sak
The Khmer 'Weak Heart' Syndrome: Fear of Death from Palpitations
Transcultural Psychiatry, September 1, 2002; 39(3): 323 - 344.
[Abstract] [PDF]

D. Hinton, K. Um, and P. Ba
Kyol Goeu('Wind Overload') Part I: A Cultural Syndrome of Orthostatic Panic among Khmer Refugees
Transcultural Psychiatry, December 1, 2001; 38(4): 403 - 432.
[Abstract] [PDF]

D. Hinton, K. Um, and P. Ba
Kyol Goeu('Wind Overload') Part II: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Mechanisms ofKyol Goeu and Near-Kyol GoeuEpisodes of Khmer Patients Attending a Psychiatric Clinic
Transcultural Psychiatry, December 1, 2001; 38(4): 433 - 460.
[Abstract] [PDF]

R. J. Mcnally
Kyol Goeu('Wind Overload') in Traumatized Cambodians: A Variant of Panic Disorder?
Transcultural Psychiatry, December 1, 2001; 38(4): 477 - 480.
[PDF]

Task Force on Syncope, European Society of Cardiol, M Brignole, P Alboni, D Benditt, L Bergfeldt, J.J Blanc, P.E Bloch Thomsen, J.G van Dijk, A Fitzpatrick, S Hohnloser, et al.
Guidelines on management (diagnosis and treatment) of syncope
Eur. Heart J., August 1, 2001; 22(15): 1256 - 1306.
[Abstract] [PDF]

R. Ventura, R. Maas, R. Ruppel, U. Stuhr, A. Schuchert, T. Meinertz, and C. A. Nienaber
Psychiatric conditions in patients with recurrent unexplained syncope
Europace, January 1, 2001; 3(4): 311 - 316.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Get information about faster international access.