Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 4, 2026
Quantitative Autonomic Testing
Published on: July 19, 2011
Elimination of spurious absent sweat response in QSWEAT recordings
Jeanne Corfits1, Wolfgang Singer1, Paola Sandroni1
1Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Introduction:
Forearm QSWEAT recordings are occasionally absent in females, likely due to high skin resistance.
Methods:
We identified consecutive subjects with no sudomotor abnormalities but absent/markedly reduced QSWEAT forearm volume, and repeated QSWEAT at the same site after gentle abrasion.
Results:
QSWEAT volumes were absent for 4 subjects and markedly reduced for the other 4 (median 0.01, IQR 0-0.03). After gentle skin abrasion, repeat volumes were significantly higher for all subjects and became normal in 7 of 8 subjects.
Discussion:
Skin abrasion restores QSWEAT volumes in previously absent/markedly reduced site suggesting that skin preparation using abrasion is more effective.
