Symptomatic presentation of carotid sinus hypersensitivity is associated with impaired cerebral autoregulation

Abstract

Background-Carotid sinus hypersensitivity (CSH) is associated with syncope, unexplained falls, and drop attacks in older people but occurs asymptomatically in 35% of community-dwelling elders. We hypothesized that impaired cerebral autoregulation is associated with the conversion of asymptomatic CSH to symptomatic CSH. We therefore conducted a case-control study evaluating individuals with CSH with and without the symptoms of syncope or unexplained falls, as well as non-CSH controls, to determine whether the blood pressure and heart rate changes associated with CSH are associated with symptoms only when cerebral autoregulation is altered. Methods and Results-Bilateral middle cerebral artery blood flow velocities (BFV) were measured in consecutive patients with symptomatic CSH (n=22) and asymptomatic controls with (n=18) and without CSH (n=14) using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography during lower body negative pressure-induced systemic hypotension. Within-group comparisons revealed significantly lower cerebrovascular resistance index (CVRi) at nadir for the asymptomatic CSH group (right, mean [95% CI]: 2.2 [1.8, 2.8] versus 2.6 [2.2, 3.0]; P=0.005; left: 2.8 [2.4, 3.3] versus 3.1 [2.7, 3.8]; P=0.016). Between-group comparisons showed higher mean BFV (right: estimated mean difference, B=5.49 [1.98, 8.80], P=0.003; left: 4.82 [1.52, 8.11], P=0.005) and lower CVRi (right: B=0.08 [0.03, 0.12], P=0.003, left: B=0.07 [0.02, 0.12], P=0.006) in asymptomatic CSH versus symptomatic CSH groups. There were no significant differences in bilateral mean BFV or right CVRi between the non-CSH and symptomatic CSH groups but differences were present for left CVRi (B=0.07 [0.02, 0.013], P=0.015). Conclusion-Cerebral autoregulation is altered in symptomatic CSH and therefore appears to be associated with the development of hypotension-related symptoms in individuals with CSH.