Evaluation of sympathetic skin response in Parkinson's disease

Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2006 Dec;12(8):486-91. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2006.05.029. Epub 2006 Jul 25.

Abstract

There is no clear definition on the role of sympathetic skin response (SSR) in the evaluation of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We recorded the SSR of the palms of 64 controls and 46 patients with PD to electrical stimulation of the median nerve at the wrist. We analyzed onset latency and peak-to-peak amplitude. A study of parasympathetic function (R-R interval analysis) was also undertaken. We found that patients with PD had more absent SSRs than controls. The mean amplitude of the SSR was significantly reduced in both lower and upper limbs of PD patients in comparison with control subjects (p<0.001). The onset latency was longer in the lower limbs of these patients in respect to the control group (p<0.003). There was a significant inverse correlation between SSR amplitudes and age, severity and late onset of the disease. There was no association of these parameters with dysautonomic symptoms or R-R interval variation. In conclusion, there is a significant association between altered SSR and PD and an inverse correlation in this group of patients between SSR values and older age, greater severity and later onset of disease. Therefore, the study of SSR may provide valuable information on cholinergic sympathetic function in patients with PD.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Electric Stimulation / methods
  • Extremities / innervation
  • Extremities / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Galvanic Skin Response / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parkinson Disease / physiopathology*
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Reaction Time / radiation effects
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Skin / innervation*
  • Skin / radiation effects
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Sympathetic Nervous System / physiopathology*
  • Sympathetic Nervous System / radiation effects