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Cardiac autonomic function in patients suffering from primary focal hyperhidrosis
P Birner1, H Heinzl, M Schindl
1Division of Neurological Rehabilitation, Department of Neurology, University of Vienna, Austria. peter.birner@akh-wien.ac.at
European Neurology
|August 31, 2000
Summary
Primary focal hyperhidrosis involves complex autonomic dysfunction, affecting both sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Patients showed reduced very-low-frequency heart rate variability, indicating altered cardiac autonomic function.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Autonomic Neuroscience
- Dermatology
Background:
- Primary focal hyperhidrosis is a condition characterized by excessive sweating.
- Autonomic nervous system dysfunction is implicated in hyperhidrosis, but the specific mechanisms are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cardiac autonomic function in patients with primary focal hyperhidrosis compared to healthy controls.
- To analyze heart rate variability using frequency domain power spectral analysis.
Main Methods:
- Short-term frequency domain power spectral analysis of heart rate variability was performed.
- Participants included 63 patients with primary focal hyperhidrosis and 28 healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Patients with axillary hyperhidrosis exhibited significantly lower very-low-frequency (VLF) power (0.01-0.05 Hz) compared to controls.
- No significant differences were found in the low-frequency (LF) band (0.05-0.15 Hz), which is associated with sympathetic activity.
- An interaction between hyperhidrosis type/position and spectral power was observed in the high-frequency (HF) band (0.15-0.5 Hz), linked to parasympathetic innervation.
Conclusions:
- Primary focal hyperhidrosis is associated with a more complex autonomic dysfunction than generalized sympathetic overactivity.
- The findings suggest involvement of the parasympathetic nervous system in primary focal hyperhidrosis.