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Can Augmented Sympathetic Activity in Rosacea be Tracked by Cutaneous Flowmotion?
Author(s) -
Wilson Thad E.,
Eaton Emily,
Toma Kumika,
Jurovcik Andrew,
Sammons Dawn,
MetzlerWilson Kristen
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.752.3
Subject(s) - rosacea , laser doppler velocimetry , microneurography , medicine , forehead , heart rate variability , baroreflex , cardiology , heart rate , blood flow , blood pressure , surgery , dermatology , acne
Recent supraorbital microneurography evidence indicates that sympathetic outflow to the face is augmented in rosacea (Metzler‐Wilson & Toma, et al , J Neurophysiol , 2015). Our aim was to identify if non‐invasive assessment of skin blood flow (SkBF; laser‐Doppler flowmetry) can be used to track facial sympathetic outflow differences between subjects with and without rosacea and during symptom‐triggering events. To this end, we assessed spectral power (fast Fourier transform) in the sympathetic (low frequency (LF); 0.02–0.06 Hz) and vascular endothelial (very‐low frequency (VLF); 0.009–0.02 Hz) frequency ranges in forehead skin during systemic heating (50° C water delivered through a high density tube‐lined suit to increase mean skin and internal temperature). We hypothesized that compared to healthy age‐sex matched controls (n=9), Individuals with rosacea (n=9) would demonstrate greater changes in LF, but not VLF ranges. SkBF increased to a greater extent during heat stress in rosacea compared to controls (451±40 vs. 352±33% increase from baseline; p=0.04). Heat stress also increased spectral power within both the VLF and LF ranges in both groups (change from baseline to heating in VLF: 0.17±0.16 vs. 0.67±0.32 au; LF: 1.17±0.62 vs. 0.39±0.36 au; rosacea and control, respectively), but significant group difference were not observed (VLF: p=0.21; LF: p=0.16). High between‐subject variance existed in patients and controls. Thus, until better variability controls among subjects during symptom‐triggering events are developed, cutaneous flowmotion does not appear to be a viable surrogate for skin sympathetic nerve activity measurements in this population. Support or Funding Information National Rosacea Society