[Syncopal consciousness disorders and drop attacks from the neurologic viewpoint]

The most important neurological disorders leading to syncope and/or drop attack are presented. With respect to epilepsy it is important to consider generalized absence seizures (petit mal), generalized tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal) and some types of complex partial seizures. Additionally, some sleep and arousal disorders must be mentioned, such as narcolepsy, disorders of excessive somnolence associated with sleep-induced respiratory impairment, as well as the Kleine-Levin-Critchley syndrome. Vagotonic, asympathicotonic, sympathicotonic and central autonomic disorders are comprised in the group of autonomic attacks. Among other brain diseases manifesting syncope and/or drop attack, cerebrovascular disorders are of major importance in view of their high incidence. Psychogenic seizures also have to be taken into account in the differential diagnosis.