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The activity of the sympathetic nervous system following severe head injury

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Abstract

The activity of the sympathetic nervous system during the course of severe closed head injury has been evaluated in 15 patients by measuring plasma levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine. With the onset of the transition stage from midbrain syndrome to the apallic syndrome the plasma levels mainly of norepinephrine started to increase and remained high during the further course of the disease. During the remission from the apallic syndrome the elevated norepinephrine levels started to decline. The data indicate that a longlasting overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system is a characteristic feature in the course of severe head injury.

As a rational therapy to protect the peripheral tissues against the consequences of a longlasting sympathetic overactivity we suggest the use of β-adrenergic blocking agents and adrenergic neuron blocking drugs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

    Heide Hörtnagl, Alfons F. Hammerle & Thomas Brücke

  2. Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

    Johann M. Hackl

  3. Department of Neurology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

    Erik Rumpl

  4. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

    Helmut Hörtnagl

  5. Institut für Biochemische Pharmakologie, Borschkegasse 8a, A-1090, Vienna, Austria

    Heide Hörtnagl

Authors
  1. Heide Hörtnagl
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  2. Alfons F. Hammerle
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  3. Johann M. Hackl
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  4. Thomas Brücke
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  5. Erik Rumpl
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  6. Helmut Hörtnagl
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Hörtnagl, H., Hammerle, A.F., Hackl, J.M. et al. The activity of the sympathetic nervous system following severe head injury. Intensive Care Med 6, 169–177 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01757299

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