[Characterization of the status of nonspecific brain systems in cerebral autonomic-vascular crises and neurogenic syncope].

Thirty-eight patients with cerebral vegetovascular crises of neurotic nature and 43 patients with neurogenic syncopes were examined. Use was made of clinical neurological analysis, electropolygraphic examinations in the state of awakeness and sleep, as well as of psychological tests (the method of versatile examination of personality). It was shown that in the patients with the vegetovascular crises the functioning of the activating nonspecific brain systems was intensified: this manifested itself in a lowering of the alpha-index on the EEG taken during awakeness, a delay of the orientation reaction, a shortening of the sleep duration, a diminution of the representation of the deep stages of the slow sleep, an acceleration of the heartbeat rate in all the functional states of the brain. This was accompanied by anxious-depressive and hypochondriacal emotional disturbances. In the patients with neurogenic syncopes, a certain intensification of the activation processes in the state of awakeness associated with moderate emotional changes was accompanied with a tendency to hyperactivation of the synchronizing systems during sleep. In these patients some epileptimorph changes were revealed on the EEGs of awakeness and sleep, while in the patients with vegetovascular crises no changes of such kind were observed.