[The cerebro-cardiac syndrome in neuro-traumatology]

Head trauma is a possible cause of E.C.G. modifications originating in the brain and unresponsive to pure symptomatic cardial therapy. On the other hand, these perturbations react in a favourable way to treatment aimed at protecting the heart against descending nociceptive influx caused by brain injury. This report shows the results of a retrospective electrographic study of 220 unoperated patients with head injuries aged 15 to 30 years. A correlation is established between E.C.G. findings and depth of coma. The authors discuss their findings and suggest an etiologic pathology based on clinical and experimental factors.