Successful treatment of malignant neurocardiogenic syncope with repeated tilt training program

Abstract

Recent reports have shown that repeated tilt-table testing or tilt training is a very effective therapy for the treatment of neurocardiogenic syncope induced by head-up tilt testing. The present patient experienced repeated syncopal or presyncopal attacks and had shown prolonged asystole on an electrocardiogram during syncope. The presyncope could be reproducibly induced by head-up tilt testing. Oral propranolol and/or disopyramide therapies failed to prevent his symptoms. Tilt training (2 sessions/day) was repeated every day for 4 weeks at home, and then head-up tilt testing was performed again. The syncope or presyncope was not induced by head-up tilt testing. The patient has continued with this training and has had no symptoms during the follow-up period of 1 year.