were significantly (P<.05) impaired in both hemispheric and brain stem infarctions, thus indicating hypofunction of the parasympathetic nervous system. At 1 month heart rate responses to normal breathing (brain stem, P<.05), the Valsalva maneuver (brain stem, P<.01), and tilting (hemispheric, P<.05) were still significantly lower than those of the control subjects, but at 6 months significant suppression of the response was found only in tilting (hemispheric, P<.05). Conclusions These findings

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... uggest that in addition to the previously well-established sympathetic hyperfunction, brain infarction also seems to cause parasympathetic hypofunction, which may be involved in cardiovascular and other known manifestations of autonomic failure associated with stroke. (Stroke. 1994;25:787-792.)