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Sympathetic skin response and autonomic dysfunction in diabetes
1Department of Neurology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow.
Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
|April 1, 1995
Summary
Diabetic autonomic dysfunction, characterized by symptoms like syncope and vertigo, affects nearly half of patients. Sudomotor response (SSR) testing may serve as an early indicator of this nerve damage.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Endocrinology
- Diabetology
Background:
- Diabetic autonomic neuropathy is a common complication affecting nearly half of diabetic patients.
- Symptoms include syncope, vertigo, and palpitations, often triggered by postural changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare autonomic function in diabetic patients with and without dysautonomia symptoms.
- To evaluate the utility of sudomotor response (SSR) testing as an indicator of autonomic dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Study included 34 middle-aged diabetics and 15 healthy controls.
- Autonomic function tests included salivation, lacrimation, sweating, pilomotor response, reflex erythema, and blood pressure changes.
- Sudomotor response (SSR) was elicited using programmed stimuli.
Main Results:
- 15 diabetics (43%) exhibited symptoms of autonomic dysfunction.
- In asymptomatic diabetics, SSR was not recordable in 42%.
- In symptomatic diabetics, SSR was not recordable in 66%.
Conclusions:
- Sudomotor response (SSR) testing appears to be a sensitive and potentially early indicator of autonomic dysfunction in diabetics.
- SSR testing can aid in identifying diabetic patients at risk for autonomic complications.