Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Chronic Post-Ischemia Pain Model for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type-I in Rats
Published on: January 21, 2020
Sympathetic skin responses in hemiplegic patients with and without complex regional pain syndrome
Barin Selçuk1, Murat Ersoz, Murat Inanir
11st PM and R Clinic, Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Education and Research Hospital of Ministry of Health, Ankara, Turkey. barinselcuk@yahoo.com
Background And Aims:
To investigate whether there were changes in the sympathetic skin responses (SSR) in the limbs with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type I in hemiplegic patients.
Setting:
A physical medicine and rehabilitation center in Turkey.
Materials And Methods:
Sympathetic skin responses were evaluated in 69 stroke patients (41 with CRPS and 28 without CRPS) and 20 healthy volunteers. SSR were recorded on the paretic and healthy hands after stimulation of the ipsilateral median nerve. Patients' ages ranged from 33 to 77 years, with a mean of 60.0+/-12.9 years.
Results:
The SSR were obtained in all patients with CRPS, whereas SSR was absent in 9 of 28 patients with hemiplegia who did not have CRPS after stimulation of the plegic side and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.023). SSR amplitudes were increased at the hemiplegic limbs in patients affected by CRPS compared to individuals unaffected; this group difference was statistically significant (P=0.014). The mean amplitude of the SSR in the advanced stage of CRPS was greater than lower stage and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.035).
Conclusion:
Our results suggest that SSR can be obtained in stroke patients with CRPS even in the early stages of CRPS. SSR acquirability and amplitude increase as the stage of the disease advances. As an electrophysiologic technique, SSR may be used in the evaluation of the sympathetic function in hemiplegic patients and also in the diagnosis of CRPS and in monitoring of its treatment.
Related Concept Videos
Sympathetic Activation
Sympathetic Pathways: Collateral Ganglia and Adrenal Medulla
Collateral Ganglia
Sympathetic preganglionic axons reach the collateral ganglia along the route of splanchnic nerves. These nerves bypass the sympathetic trunk and communicate with sympathetic postganglionic neurons housed in the prevertebral ganglia. These ganglia supply the organs of the abdominopelvic cavity.
The greater splanchnic nerve, formed by the...
Pain
Sympathetic Pathways: Sympathetic Chain Ganglia
Somatic Spinal Reflexes
One of the most well-known somatic spinal reflexes is the stretch reflex, which is activated by the sudden stretching of a muscle. This reflex involves the activation of specialized sensory receptors called muscle spindles, which are located in the muscle tissue and detect changes in the length and speed of muscle contractions. When a muscle is suddenly...
Spinal Nerves: Plexus I
The Cervical Plexus
The cervical plexus, formed by the anterior rami of the first four...

