title: Cold caloric microcirculatory reflex disturbance in patients with Parkinson's disease.
abstract: The basal skin microcirculatory blood flow and its change in response to a cold caloric stimulus (cold water, 5 degrees C, exposure of one foot for 30 s) were investigated in nine patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and nine normal subjects (controls). The results revealed a significant (p < 0.001) difference between the groups. In the controls there was a strong decrease in the red cell flux (RCF) on cold water exposure, while eight of the nine PD patients revealed no detectable change in RCF; in one patient only there was a less pronounced reaction. It was concluded that the regulation of the microcirculatory blood flow was affected in PD patients; the cold caloric reflex was attenuated or absent but there was no difference in the basal microcirculatory blood flow compared to normal subjects.
authors.affiliation: Linköping University Hospital, Sweden. stayko.kolev@meteo.bg
authors.forename: O I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Kolev
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pedersson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tibbling
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot; D006801:Humans; D007101:Immersion; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012021:Reflex, Abnormal; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*