Sympathetic skin response in parkinsonian patients

Sympathetic skin response (SSR) was recorded in 23 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) using mechanical as well as electrical stimuli. Significant delay of SSR latencies and decrease in amplitude of SSR compared to healthy volunteers were found (p < 0.05). Furthermore the clinical parameters of the autonomic impairment correlated well with the Webster score. Central mechanisms might be responsible for these findings and the role of central sympathetic pathway damage in parkinsonian patients is discussed.