Understanding Syncope: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Diagnosis and Management

Dear Colleagues,

Syncope, characterised by a brief loss of consciousness due to a sudden drop in blood flow to the brain, presents significant challenges across various medical fields. Its causes are diverse, ranging from reflex and cardiac to neurological origins, and it is often misdiagnosed, leading to inadequate patient care. Many patients experience the "you do not have a syndrome," resulting in the extensive use of medical resources and significant impacts on their societal and economic well-being and quality of life. Current treatment options are generally poor and vexing, with limited effectiveness.

We invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which explores all aspects of syncope. We aim to enhance our understanding of its mechanisms, enhance the accuracy of diagnosis, and develop effective treatment options. This aligns with the journal's aim of fostering multidisciplinary research and advanced clinical practices. This Special Issue will also examine the potential impact of digital health, wearable devices, advanced data analysis tools, and artificial intelligence on diagnostic and prognostic capabilities. In addition, understanding the mechanisms of the condition can lead to more personalised treatments. Moreover, the advent of different forms of cardioneuromodulation and the ability to monitor these patients using minimally invasive or non-invasive methods offers new avenues for exploration. The possibility of conducting pragmatic clinical trials with real-world data rather than selected patients is also crucial for gaining more comprehensive insights into therapeutic options.

This Special Issue aims to cover a wide range of topics related to syncope, from basic research to clinical practice. The scope of this Special Issue therefore includes the following:

• Epidemiology and the economic impact of syncope;
• The mechanisms underlying different types of syncope (reflex, cardiac, neurological);
• Diagnostic strategies and tools for distinguishing between syncope types;
• Prognostication and risk assessment;
• Treatment options: pharmacological and non-pharmacological, device-based, and interventional;
• Quality of life and patient outcomes;
• Role of wearable devices and artificial intelligence in syncope management;
• Autonomic dysfunction, including orthostatic hypotension and POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome);
• Multidisciplinary approaches involving various medical fields (autonomics, neurology, cardiology, etc.);
• Contributions from different professional domains (medicine, nursing, rehabilitation, engineering, data science, psychology).

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and case studies that provide insights into the mechanisms, diagnostics, and management of all types of syncope, highlighting practical challenges and solutions. This Special Issue offers an opportunity for experts to share their findings and practices, fostering collaboration to improve our understanding and management of syncope. Your contributions will help shape future research and improve patient outcomes in this important area.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Biology.

Prof. Dr. Isabel Rocha
Dr. Sérgio Laranjo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• syncope
• diagnostic strategies
• prognostication
• treatment options
• quality of life
• wearable devices
• artificial intelligence
• autonomic dysfunction
• orthostatic hypotension
• POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome)