title: Autonomic dysfunction in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the autonomic system in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-seven adult patients with PCOS and 33 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. The electrophysiological assessments of the autonomic nervous system function were performed using sympathetic skin response and R-R interval variation tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean latency of sympathetic skin response in PCOS patients was significantly delayed compared with the controls (p = 0.001). The mean amplitude of sympathetic skin response was significantly lower in comparison with the controls (p = 0.01). Mean R-R interval variation during deep breathing was also significantly delayed (p = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are parasympathetic dysfunction and sympathetic dysfunction in patients with PCOS. This may be easily demonstrated with sympathetic skin response and R-R interval variation tests.
authors.affiliation: Kirikkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kirikkale, Turkey. Electronic address: zozcan23@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Zeynep Ozcan
authors.initials: ZO
authors.lastname: Dag
authors.affiliation: Kirikkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Kirikkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alpua
authors.affiliation: Kirikkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Kirikkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yakup
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Turkel
authors.affiliation: Kirikkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kirikkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yuksel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Isik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: R–R interval variation; autonomic dysfunction; polycystic ovary syndrome; sympathetic skin response