Vulpiana Symptom

Vulpiana symptom is a neurological symptom that manifests itself in the form of blinking (flapping) movements of the patient’s eyeballs, observed at the moment of coughing. It was discovered in 1854 by the French neurologist Jules Vulpiani. The symptom got its name from its discoverer, as it was first described by him in a patient with epilepsy. In this case, it is present in the complex of symptoms “status epilepticus simplex” (better known as “grand mal”) - the main typical symptoms of epilepsy with a frontal dominant focus. And in a number of other cases it was used to diagnose brain diseases.

It has been established that the Vulpiana symptom appears reflexively, due to an electrotonic reflex from the gastrointestinal tract. The cough reflex activates the sympathetic nervous system, creating the desire to take a quick, deep breath. As a result, the activity of the vagus nerve sharply decreases, and heart rate normalizes.

The name of the symptom comes from the name of the French physician Ludwig Vulpias (L. Lullias, 1774-1838), who made his efforts during the reign of Louis Philippe I and Napoleon I to reorganize the therapeutic school in France.

The name of the symptom emphasizes a special approach to treating the disease. This symptom is a characteristic feature of some chronic diseases. It is usually accompanied by certain clinical manifestations and is diagnosed when these clinical manifestations cannot be explained in simpler ways.

Under normal conditions, this symptom is very difficult to diagnose. However, with the participation of a qualified specialist in the study, it will not be difficult to determine the signs of the existence of this symptom. For example, symptoms such as weakness, night sweats, dizziness, fainting and others can often indicate a thyroid disease. At the same time, if the signs indicate the absence of problems with the thyroid gland, then it may be worth paying attention to specific diseases, for example, Parkinson's disease.