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Sympathetic skin response abnormalities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Author(s) -
Dettmers Christian,
Fatepour David,
Faust Harald,
Jerusalem Felix
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.880160907
Subject(s) - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , medicine , autonomic nervous system , muscular dystrophy , pure autonomic failure , sympathetic nervous system , latency (audio) , cardiology , physical medicine and rehabilitation , disease , heart rate , blood pressure , electrical engineering , orthostatic vital signs , engineering
The sympathetic skin response (SSR) was evaluated in 25 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to assess for involvement of the autonomic nervous system. Twenty‐two age‐matched normals and 6 patients with muscular dystrophy served as controls. The SSR was intact in all normal volunteers and all patients with muscular dystrophy. The mean SSR latency in the ALS patients was prolonged compared to that of normals (2.29 ± 0.28 versus 2.13 ± 0.16 s, P > 0.05). The SSR was absent in one or both legs of 10 ALS patients (40%). Absence or abnormal latency of SSR in patients with ALS without clinical findings of autonomic failure suggests involvement of the autonomic nervous system in addition to the motor system. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.