Functional Assessment of Sympathetic Nervous System in Patients with Unilateral Stroke

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the function of sympathetic nervous system in patients with first-ever unilateral stroke by measuring hand sympathetic skin response (SSR) and the relationship between sympathetic dysfunction and motor function. METHOD: Eighteen patients with first-ever unilateral stroke and eighteen normal controls were recruited. The differences of hand SSR amplitude and latency between affected and unaffected side were investigated. Motor function was classified according to the Brunnstrom stage and activities of daily living were evaluated by modified Barthel Index (MBI) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Orthoestatic hypotension (OH) was evaluated and graded. RESULTS: The difference of the amplitude of hand SSR between affected and unaffected side was increased in stroke patient group (p<0.05). There was significant correlation between Brunnstrom stage and the difference of hand SSR amplitude (p<0.05). There were significant correlations between MBI, FIM and the difference of hand SSR amplitude (p<0.05). There was significant correlation between OH and the difference of hand SSR amplitude (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Evaluation of hand SSR could be useful methods to evaluate central autonomic dysfunction and motor dysfunction.