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Cutaneous sensibility and peripheral nerve function in patients with unmedicated essential hypertension
Author(s) -
Edwards Louisa,
Ring Christopher,
McIntyre David,
Winer John B.,
Martin Una
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2007.00608.x
Subject(s) - sensory system , sensory nerve , psychology , subclinical infection , neuroscience , perception , median nerve , audiology , medicine , psychiatry
Sensorimotor deficits in patients with essential hypertension may be due to impaired nerve function. Cutaneous sensory thresholds, median nerve sensory and motor conduction velocities, and median nerve sensory action potential amplitudes were assessed in 30 patients with unmedicated essential hypertension and 29 normotensives. Cutaneous sensory thresholds were higher and sensory action potential amplitudes smaller in hypertensives than normotensives whereas sensory and motor nerve conduction velocities did not differ between groups. These data suggest that hypertension may reduce the number of active sensory nerve fibers without affecting myelination. Sensory action potential amplitudes were inversely related to cutaneous sensory thresholds, suggesting that subclinical axonal neuropathy of sensory afferents may help account for perceptual deficits that characterize hypertension.