Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Jul 1;38(4):279-286.
doi: 10.1097/WNP.0000000000000625.

Tilt Test: A Review

Laura Aponte-Becerra  1 , Peter Novak
Affiliations
Review

Tilt Test: A Review

Laura Aponte-Becerra et al. J Clin Neurophysiol. .

Abstract

This review recapitulates the head-up tilt test, which is commonly used for evaluation of orthostatic syndromes and dysautonomia. Tilt test evaluates autonomic system responses to orthostatic stress. Established tilt testing includes monitoring of heart rate and blood pressure; adding capnography and cerebral blood flow monitoring expands its diagnostic yield and allows assessing cerebral blood flow regulation. Common syndromes detectable by the tilt test are neurally mediated syncope (vasodepressor, cardiovagal, or mixed), orthostatic hypotension, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, hypocapnic cerebral hypoperfusion, and orthostatic cerebral hypoperfusion syndrome. This review describes relevant physiology, tilt test protocols, diagnostic criteria for orthostatic syndromes, grading test results, diagnostic accuracy, limitations of the tilt test, and safety considerations.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

References

    1. Hill L. The influence of the force of gravity on the circulation of the blood*. J Physiol 1895;18:15–53.
    1. Anne Kenny R, Bayliss J, Ingram A, Sutton R. Head-up tilt: a useful test for investigating unexplained syncope. Lancet 1986;327:1352–1355.
    1. Noback CR, ed. The human nervous system: Structure and function. Vol 6. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press; 2005.
    1. Chapleau MW. Baroreceptor reflexes. In: Primer on the autonomic nervous system. San Diego, CA: Elsevier; 2012:161–165.
    1. Saal DP, Thijs RD, van Dijk JG. Tilt table testing in neurology and clinical neurophysiology. Clin Neurophysiol 2016;127:1022–1030.

LinkOut - more resources