MRI to Assess the Effects of Dysautonomia and Chronic Nausea on Brain Transmitters

The purpose of this research study is to better understand what causes dysautonomia and how
this affects blood pressure and pulse. Dysautonomia is a condition of the autonomic nervous
system. It is associated with fluctuations in blood pressure and pulse and may cause symptoms
of nausea and belly pain, fatigue, excessive thirst, lightheadedness, dizziness, feelings of
anxiety or panic, and fainting. A common example of dysautonomia is postural orthostatic
tachycardia syndrome or POTS. Sometimes symptoms worsen when people move from lying down to
standing, called orthostatic intolerance. We would like to learn more about the link between
orthostatic intolerance and nausea. While medications currently used to treat orthostatic
intolerance and nausea have proven to be effective in some patients, this may not be the best
treatment for everyone as long term use could pose certain risks including high blood
pressure. In order to provide a more focused and safer treatment for patients suffering from
nausea and orthostatic intolerance, we have looked at how the blood pressure, pulse, and
certain blood tests change during a tilt table test. This test helps to create the same
circumstances that patients with orthostatic intolerance experience when they stand. To
better understand if some of these problems are associated with the brain, we will study MRI
in patients with dysautonomia compared to children without dysautonomia. This information may
allow us to use alternative and safer treatments in the future.