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SERUM DOPAMINE β‐HYDROXYLASE (DβH) LEVELS DURING TILTING IN PATIENTS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURIES *
Author(s) -
Ohry A.,
Rabinowitz R.,
Korczyn A. D.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1681.1980.tb00084.x
Subject(s) - spinal cord , dopamine , medicine , sympathetic nervous system , endocrinology , autonomic nervous system , spinal cord injury , anesthesia , blood pressure , heart rate , psychiatry
SUMMARY The activity of dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase (DβH) in the serum was measured in patients with quadriplegia and in healthy subjects. We assume that the plasma DβH levels reflect sympathetic tone. Quadriplegics had significantly lower DβH levels at rest. After head‐up tilting a significant decrease in DβH levels occurred in patients with spinal cord injury suggesting failure of the sympathetic nervous system. However, a considerable overlap exists between normals and quadriplegics, making this test of limited value in the assessment of autonomic function in individual subjects.