Vasomotor oscillation in vibration-induced white finger

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Vascular Biology
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Vibration-induced white finger (VWF) is a condition affecting peripheral circulation.
• Vasomotor oscillations are crucial for regulating skin blood flow.
• The role of autonomic neural influence in VWF pathophysiology requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the autonomic neural component of finger vasomotor oscillations in individuals with VWF.
• To compare vasomotor responses between VWF patients and healthy referents under varying temperatures.
• To determine if differences in vasomotor control are linked to peripheral neuropathy.

Main Methods:

• Studied vasomotor oscillation using laser-Doppler flowmetry in VWF patients and referents.
• Analyzed power spectral density (PSD) of oscillations at different ambient temperatures (cold vs. hot).
• Compared responses with and without finger nerve anesthesia to isolate myogenic and neural components.

Main Results:

• Vasomotor oscillations were more pronounced in cold environments for both groups.
• Referents showed significantly greater oscillations than VWF subjects without anesthesia (p < 0.01).
• Anesthesia reduced oscillations in both groups, eliminating significant group differences, indicating similar myogenic components.

Conclusions:

• Autonomic neural influence on finger pad vasomotor activity is diminished in individuals with VWF.
• This reduced neural control may indicate peripheral neuropathy in VWF.
• Hypersensitivity to cold in VWF could be related to adrenoceptor changes secondary to denervation.