title: Impaired salivary gland function reveals autonomic dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: Recent studies have revealed autonomic dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We studied salivary gland function by quantitative scintigraphy in ALS patients (n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 30). Uptake of (99m)Tc-pertechnetate in the parotid and submandibular glands was significantly decreased in ALS patients. No correlation was found between radiotracer uptake and regions of onset (bulbar-limb), duration of disease, or functional scores. Our data show early subclinical autonomic involvement supporting the view that ALS is a multisystem degenerative disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Wuerzburg, Germany. ralf.giess@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giess
authors.forename: Edgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reiners
authors.forename: Klaus Victor
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Toyka
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naumann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric