Treatment of Neurocardiogenic Syncope: From Conservative to Cutting-edge

J Innov Card Rhythm Manag. 2018 Jul 15;9(7):3221-3231. doi: 10.19102/icrm.2018.090702. eCollection 2018 Jul.

Abstract

Neurocardiogenic syncope is the most frequent cause of syncope in the general population. Many years have been spent on determining an effective treatment for this condition. Conventional treatment usually follows a tiered approach for neurocardiogenic syncope, as follows: first, lifestyle modification, including increased fluid intake and the introduction of physical counterpressure maneuvers, is tried; then the use of targeted pharmacologic therapy, particularly agents that support blood pressure or that drive blood pressure is attempted; and, finally, pacemaker implantation in patients with a predominant cardioinhibitory component to their syncopal episodes is performed. More recently, autonomic modulation with cardiac ganglion ablation has emerged as a promising treatment modality for patients refractory to traditional approaches. In this review, we sought to summarize the existing therapies for neurocardiogenic syncope and explore the latest research on new modalities of treatment.

Keywords: Autonomic modulation; catheter ablation; ganglion plexus; neurocardiogenic syncope; pacemaker.

Publication types

  • Review