Sympatheic Skin Response and Nerve Conduction Studies in Diabetic Neuropathy

ABSTRACT

Fifty eight diabetic patients and 20 normal controls were studied by the method of nerve conduction studies(NCS) and sudomotor skin reponse(SSR), and the following results were obtained. 1. SSR was easily obtainable in all normal control. 2. The patients with abnormal NCV showed more numbers of abnormal SSR than the pat ients with normal NCV. 3. The patients with abnormal SSR were significantly older than the patient with normal SSR, but duration of disease was not different between the patients with normal SSR and with abnormal SSR. 4. The levels of sugar at fasting and postprandial 2 hours, and level of HbAlC in serum were not different between the patients of norrnal SSR and of abnormal SSR. 5. The incidence of autonomic symptoms, such as syncope, sweating abnormality, impotence in male, urinary disturbance, postural hypotension, was not different between the patient of norrnal SSR and of abnormal SSR. 6. Among the patients of diabets, the number of abnormal nerves in terminal latency motor and sensory nerve condcution velocity, and amplitude of compound motor and nerve action potentiaL were significantly correlated with the number of abnormal nerves in SSR. 7. The absolute values of motor terminal latency, motor and sensory conduction velocity and amplitude of compound motor and sensory action potential in the patient of abnormal SSR were significanly decreased thai. The patients with norrnal SSR. The values of terminal latency in abnormal SSR were significanly prolonged than the patients with normal SSR We concluded that the SSR test is a valuabe one for early detection of sympathetic nerve invasion in the diabetes' patients.