Peripheral somatic sensory neuropathy and skin galvanic response in the feet of patients with diabetes.
The relationship between abnormality in the peripheral sympathetic nervous system (skin galvanic response) and in the peripheral somatic sensory nerve fibers was studied in the lower extremities of 51 patients with diabetes. Deficits in temperature and pain sensations (the small sensory nerve fibers) were related to abnormal sympathetic nervous function (temperature sensation, p less than 0.001; pain sensation, p less than 0.05). The deficits in temperature sensation, in particular, predicted abnormal sympathetic nervous function reliably and vice versa. There was no relationship between deficits in touch and vibration sensations (the large sensory nerve fibers) and abnormal sympathetic nervous function. There was a relationship between skin galvanic response and RR-variation (p less than 0.01). However, abnormality in RR-variation was not related to the deficits in any of the four sensory modalities.
Wieman
T J
TJ
Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Kentucky.
Huang
K C
KC
Tsueda
K
K
Thomas
M H
MH
Lucas
L F
LF
Simpson
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000294:innervation*; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013697:Thermosensing / Q000502:physiology; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology; D014732:Vibration