Syncope, or fainting, is a symptom rather than a disease. It can be caused by several underlying conditions and can often be mistaken for epilepsy. This can lead to inappropriate prescribing and signifi cant health costs. In the second part of this article, Drs Sanjiv Petkar, Adam Fitzpatrick and Paul Cooper discuss the diagnostic tools available for identifying syncope and how it can be differentiated from epilepsy.