Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Transauricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Electroencephalographic Assessment in Disorders of Consciousness
Published on: July 11, 2025
Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (sympathetic storm) in a patient with permanent vegetative state
Emily R Levy1, Ursula McVeigh, Allan M Ramsay
1University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, California, USA.
Background:
There are many people living in a permanent vegetative state in the United States. We report the first case of a patient in permanent vegetative state (PVS) who developed paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (sympathetic storm) 8 months after the hypoxic brain injury that lead to PVS.
Discussion:
Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity is a relatively common complication early in the course of traumatic brain injury. Recognition of the clinical presentation of this syndrome is important to palliative and hospice care providers who may be caring for patients with PVS. The treatment of sympathic hyperactivity to reduce potential physical suffering includes medications targeted to the sympathetic nervous system.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Sympathetic Activation
Disorders of the Autonomic Nervous System
Raynaud's disease, also known as Raynaud's phenomenon, is a...
Autonomic Nervous System
The ANS comprises two main divisions: the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. These divisions function antagonistically to maintain a dynamic...
The Sympathetic Nervous System
The Parasympathetic Nervous System
Sympathetic Division of the ANS
Originating in the thoracic and lumbar spinal cord segments, the preganglionic fibers of the sympathetic division exit the spinal cord through the white ramus communicans. They then enter the sympathetic...

