Leg sympathetic response to noxious skin stimuli is similar in high and low level human spinal cord injury.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if sympathetically mediated vasoconstriction in the lower extremities is injury level dependent. Although sympathetic responses have been measured in the limbs of people with high and low level SCI using blood flow measurements, including Doppler ultrasound and venous plethysmography, a direct comparison between injury levels has not been made.


METHODS
Volunteers with chronic SCI were grouped according to injury level. Above T6: high level (HL, n=7), and T6 and below: low level (LL, n=6). All subjects had complete motor and sensory loss. Leg arterial flows were recorded by venous occlusion plethysmography, and continuous heart rate and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured. The conditioning stimulus consisted of transcutaneous stimulation to the arch of the contralateral foot.


RESULTS
HL and LL subjects demonstrated a significant decrease in arterial conductance during stimulation with no significant difference found between groups. As expected, only group HL demonstrated a significant increase in MAP.


CONCLUSIONS
These results support our hypothesis that local (leg) sympathetic responses are similar for both high and low level SCI.


CONCLUSIONS
While low level SCI does not typically present with autonomic dysreflexia, bouts of increased reflex sympathetic activity could have ramifications for metabolism as well as renal and motor system function.
Marquette University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA. kgarrison@uca.edu
M Kevin
MK
Garrison
Alexander V
AV
Ng
Brian D
BD
Schmit
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*