How to Differentiate Syncope from Seizure

Value of clinical features to differentiate refractory epilepsy from mimics: a prospective longitudinal cohort study

“…A plausible explanation is that the majority were subsequently diagnosed with cardiac/cardio inhibitory syncopes, which are typically characterized by the suddenness of onset and a lack of warning signs [17]. In such cases, cerebral hypoperfusion and anoxia are abrupt, which in the past were termed Sto-kesÀAdams attacks [18,19]. Conversely, symptoms and signs highly characteristic of vasovagal syncope such as dizziness, diaphoresis, nausea, weakness, visual impairment, especially after prolonged periods of standing [11,[17][18][19], were usually lacking in our series.…”

Assessment of endothelin and copeptin as biomarkers for vasovagal syncope

“…Firstly, unlike most previous reports, it included two important control populations: healthy, asymptomatic individuals and those with definite epileptic disorders. This is particularly important given the difficulties posed in distinguishing convulsive syncope from epileptic seizures [27]. Secondly, the diagnosis of vasovagal syncope was established with a quantitative, validated symptom score [12,28] that is highly accurate, with specificity and sensitivity of 89 and 91%, respectively.…”

Management of Postural Tachycardia Syndrome, Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia and Vasovagal Syncope

“…VVS usually occurs after prolonged standing or in a sitting position, but can be triggered even in the supine position by exposure to medical or dental situations, pain, or scenes of injury. Prolonged can mean as little as 2-3 minutes and this is a key feature distinguishing VVS from initial orthostatic hypotension, in which syncope occurs within the first few seconds 51 Unconsciousness usually lasts less than 1-2 minutes, but full recovery can be sluggish. Patients are usually very tired for minutes to hours following a syncopal spell.…”