Sympathetic skin responses in multiple sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed the sympathetic skin responses (SSRs) and their correlation with brain lesion volumes in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).


METHODS
The SSRs were measured in 27 patients with MS and 27 healthy controls. The volumes of the proton density-weighted MS lesions in the brain were measured using MRI.


RESULTS
The SSRs were abnormal in 52% of the patients with MS, but absent only in clinically severe MS. The total lesion volume in the whole brain correlated significantly with both the severity of MS expressed by the EDSS score (P < 0.001) and the decreased SSR amplitudes in the feet (P < 0.01). Focal lesion volumes in the temporal lobe (P < 0.01), in the pons (P < 0.01) and in the cerebellum (P < 0.01) were also separately associated with abnormal SSR reflexes.


CONCLUSIONS
Sudomotor regulation failure in MS is associated with certain focal MS lesions.
Saari
A
A
Department of Neurology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland. anne.saari@ppshp.fi
Tolonen
U
U
Pääkkö
E
E
Suominen
K
K
Pyhtinen
J
J
Sotaniemi
K A
KA
Jauhiainen
J
J
Myllylä
V V
VV
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology