Clinical Implications of the Enlarged Autonomic Nervous System

Abstract

Since the ANS is extensively involved in the function of almost every organ sys-tem, the clinical manifestations of autonomic dysfunction are diverse. Indeed, the ANS is involved in most diseases. Any structural pathological process affect-ing the brain (whether infectious, inherited, neoplastic, or degenerative in nature) can result in an autonomic syndrome. This Chapter describes the ANS semiol-ogy and the different classifications of the ANS disorders, emphasizing that derived from the hierarchical organization of the ANS.