Does transcutaneous nerve stimulation have effect on sympathetic skin response?

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Neurology
• Medical Devices

Background:

• The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) regulates involuntary bodily functions.
• Sympathetic skin response (SSR) is a non-invasive measure of sympathetic nerve activity.
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a therapeutic modality with potential neuromodulatory effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of TENS on the sympathetic nervous system.
• To evaluate TENS efficacy using the sympathetic skin response (SSR) test.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-five healthy volunteers participated in the study.
• Participants received either 30 minutes of active TENS (n=25) or sham TENS (n=30).
• SSR tests were conducted before and after stimulation to measure latency and peak-to-peak amplitude.

Main Results:

• A significant reduction in SSR amplitude was observed in the TENS group compared to the sham group for both right (p=0.04) and left hands (p=0.01).
• No significant differences in SSR latency were found between the TENS and sham TENS groups (p>0.05).

Conclusions:

• TENS demonstrates an inhibitory effect on sympathetic nervous system activity as measured by SSR.
• The findings suggest TENS can modulate sympathetic responses, offering potential therapeutic applications.