Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Quantitative Autonomic Testing
Published on: July 19, 2011
The autonomic medical history
David S Goldstein1, William P Cheshire2
1Clinical Neurocardiology Section, Clinical Neurosciences Program, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike MSC-1620, Building 10 Room 5N220, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1620, USA. goldsteind@ninds.nih.gov.
None:
The most important autonomic function test-the autonomic medical history-is the patient's account, interpreted by a clinician skilled in asking the right questions, of symptoms during daily activities that relate to the autonomic nervous system. The chronology and pattern of these symptoms combine to create a portrait of autonomic function or dysfunction. We summarize the steps in obtaining a comprehensive autonomic medical history.
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