CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 109Cardiovascular Syncope and Autonomic DisordersVestibular and auditory disordersHeart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control

Amnesia for loss of consciousness is common in vasovagal syncope

Open access
O'Dwyer, C., Bennett, K., Langan, Y., Fan, C. W., Kenny, R. A.·2011·Europace
DOI 10.1093/europace/eur069
Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of amnesia for loss of consciousness (A-LOC) in those who have a history suggestive of vasovagal syncope (VVS) and who develop syncope on head-up tilt (HUT) table testing. Furthermore, we wished to determine if A-LOC is an age-dependent phenomenon in VVS and whether haemodynamic parameters on tilting can predict for A-LOC. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients were recruited in a dedicated syncope unit and underwent neurocardiovascular evaluation as indicated under European Society of Cardiology guidelines to illicit a diagnosis of VVS. A set protocol of questioning occurred following induced syncope to determine the presence of A-LOC. The prevalence of A-LOC following syncope on tilting was 28% (44/159). Forty-two per cent of those≥60 years of age vs. 20%<60 years of age experienced amnesia post-induced syncope (P=0.003). However, regression analysis did not show age to be an independent predictor for A-LOC. Blood pressure change between those without amnesia and those with amnesia showed no significant difference (P=0.687). There was a significant difference in heart rate response; those experiencing amnesia had reduced bradycardic response on HUT compared with those without amnesia (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Amnesia for loss of consciousness is common in VVS. Although more prevalent, it is not unique to older age-groups. Absence of syncope associated bradycardia during HUT testing predicts for A-LOC.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1093/europace/eur069

Cites

31 of 31 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Patients who present with unexplained falls may deny transient loss of consciousness despite orthostatic blood pressure measurements, carotid sinus massage, and tilt testing reproducing syncope, thus demonstrating amnesia for transient loss of consciousness.

    “Not infrequently, patients who present with unexplained fallsalthough orthostatic BP measurements, CSM, and tilt testing reproduce syncope-may deny TLOC, thus demonstrating amnesia for TLOC. 388,389”

    From 2018 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope (2018) · cites this paper as [389]

    Split into 2 atoms — 1 confirmed, 1 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • If unwitnessed falls are not due to mechanical slips or trips, it is likely that the patient experienced a syncopal event and displayed lack of awareness for loss of consciousness.

    “If unwitnessed falls are not due to mechanical slips or trips (i.e. are unexplained or nonaccidental), it is likely that the patient experienced a syncopal event and displayed lack of awareness for LOC”

    From 2018 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope (2018) · cites this paper as [389]

    The Introduction links unexplained falls, absent witnesses, and amnesia for loss of consciousness; the Discussion says amnesia in vasovagal syncope warrants investigating unexplained falls for syncope. But the study found amnesia in 28% of patients with confirmed vasovagal syncope. It does not establish that an unwitnessed, nonmechanical fall is likely to have been a syncopal event with amnesia. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • In patients with cognitive impairment, details of prodromal symptoms, whether loss of consciousness occurred, and symptoms after the event may be unreliable.

    “In such circumstances, details of prodromal symptoms, whether or not LOC occurred, and symptoms after the event may be unreliable. 373,389,391-394”

    From 2018 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope (2018) · cites this paper as [389]

    The Results report that 28% of patients who lost consciousness during head-up tilt later denied it, supporting the warning that patients may report LOC unreliably. The paper also reports less recalled prodrome among those with LOC amnesia, but does not establish that prodromal details or post-event symptoms are unreliable in patients with cognitive impairment. Its Inclusion and exclusion criteria excluded older patients with MMSE scores below 24, and the Results found no cognition difference between older patients with and without LOC amnesia. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Age-related memory impairment or more established forms of cognitive impairment are frequently associated with poor recall and therefore the lack of an accurate history of events.

    “Age-related memory impairment or more established forms of cognitive impairment are frequently associated with poor recall and therefore the lack of an accurate history of events.”

    From 2018 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope (2018) · cites this paper as [389]

    The Introduction says that failure to recall syncope can complicate investigation, particularly in older adults, and that a witness account may be essential. But the paper does not establish that age-related memory impairment or established cognitive impairment frequently causes poor recall or inaccurate event histories; its Discussion says age was not an independent predictor of amnesia for loss of consciousness. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

Authors
O'Dwyer, C., Bennett, K., Langan, Y., Fan, C. W., & Kenny, R. A.
Affiliations
St. James's Hospital (IE)
ORCID
Venue
Europace
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2011-03-23
Volume
13
Issue
7
Pages
1040-1045
ISSN
  • 1099-5129 (ISSN-L)
  • 1532-2092
DOI
10.1093/europace/eur069
OpenAlex
W2004910620
Cited by
109
References
31
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 3
FWCI
6.82
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • EP Europace (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Arrow@dit (Dublin Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • Trinity's Access to Research Output (TARA) (Trinity College Dublin) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Cardiovascular Syncope and Autonomic Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Vestibular and auditory disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
Keywords
vasovagal syncope, head-up tilt, syncope, bradycardia, age differences, hemodynamic response
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Amnesia, Blood Pressure, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Posture, Prospective Studies, Regression Analysis, Retrospective Studies, Unconsciousness, Prevalence, Syncope, Vasovagal, Young Adult

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review