Abstract
Vasovagal syncope does not significantly increase the incidence of sudden death. Results of animal experiments suggest that hopelessness could be responsible for sudden death due to vagal overactivity. However, we do not know whether these results can be generalized to humans. Vasovagal syncope could be responsible for sudden death when the subject remains upright because of peculiar situations. However, this event appears to be extremely infrequent. Results of animal experiments and autopsic studies in humans suggest that the emotional vasovagal reflex could be responsible for sudden death when it occurs simultaneously with the diving reflex.
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Alboni, P., Gianfranchi, L., Dinelli, M. (2015). Vasovagal Syncope and Sudden Death: Is There a Liaison?. In: Alboni, P., Furlan, R. (eds) Vasovagal Syncope. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09102-0_27
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09102-0_27
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