title: Sympathetic single axonal discharge after spinal cord injury in humans: activity at rest and after bladder stimulation.
abstract: METHODS
  Clinical experimental mechanistic study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  (1) To determine in three spinal cord-injured patients whether individual muscle sympathetic nerve fibres below the level of the spinal lesion display spontaneous activity. (2) To determine in these patients if individual sympathetic vasoconstrictor fibres show a prolonged discharge following a bladder stimulus.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  Microneurographic recordings of action potentials from individual muscle nerve sympathetic fibres in a peroneal nerve. Recordings of skin blood flow and electrodermal responses in a foot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all patients, there was sparse ongoing spontaneous impulse traffic in individual sympathetic fibres. Brisk mechanical pressure over the urinary bladder evoked a varying number of action potentials in individual fibres, but the activity was brief and did not continue after the end of the evoked multiunit burst.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prolonged discharges in individual sympathetic fibres are unlikely to contribute to a long duration of blood pressure increases induced by brief bladder stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgren Academy at University of Gothenburg, Sahlgren University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Wallin
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgren Academy at University of Gothenburg, Sahlgren University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgren Academy at University of Gothenburg, Sahlgren University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pegenius
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgren Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: A-K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Macefield
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgren Academy at University of Gothenburg, Sahlgren University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elam
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000328:Adult; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D012146:Rest; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000503:physiopathology*