Biomaterial Database

Skin nerve sympathetic activity reflex latency in Parkinson's disease. 1990

G Ishida, and K Nakashima, and K Takahashi

Division of Neurology, Tottori University School of Medicine, Yonago, Japan.

Using a microneurographic method, skin nerve sympathetic activity (SSA) reflex latency was measured in 16 patients suffering from idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and 11 age-matched normal subjects. The mean latency in patients with PD was significantly delayed (0.821 s, p less than 0.01), when compared with that in normal subjects (0.676 s). Reflex latency showed a significant positive linear correlation with arm length. By determining the SSA reflex latency, conduction velocities in post-ganglionic skin sympathetic nerve were measured indirectly. Averaged conduction velocities in PD and normal subjects, 1.76 m/s and 1.86 m/s, respectively, did not differ significantly (p greater than 0.1). This data suggests that the reflex pathway of SSA is disturbed in patients with PD and that the increased reflex latency is caused by a central/preganglionic delay.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010300	Parkinson Disease	A progressive, degenerative neurologic disease characterized by a TREMOR that is maximal at rest, retropulsion (i.e. a tendency to fall backwards), rigidity, stooped posture, slowness of voluntary movements, and a masklike facial expression. Pathologic features include loss of melanin containing neurons in the substantia nigra and other pigmented nuclei of the brainstem. LEWY BODIES are present in the substantia nigra and locus coeruleus but may also be found in a related condition (LEWY BODY DISEASE, DIFFUSE) characterized by dementia in combination with varying degrees of parkinsonism. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p1059, pp1067-75)	Idiopathic Parkinson Disease,Lewy Body Parkinson Disease,Paralysis Agitans,Primary Parkinsonism,Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease,Lewy Body Parkinson's Disease,Parkinson Disease, Idiopathic,Parkinson's Disease,Parkinson's Disease, Idiopathic,Parkinson's Disease, Lewy Body,Parkinsonism, Primary
D011930	Reaction Time	The time from the onset of a stimulus until a response is observed.	Response Latency,Response Speed,Response Time,Latency, Response,Reaction Times,Response Latencies,Response Times,Speed, Response,Speeds, Response
D012018	Reflex	An involuntary movement or exercise of function in a part, excited in response to a stimulus applied to the periphery and transmitted to the brain or spinal cord.
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly
D012867	Skin	The outer covering of the body that protects it from the environment. It is composed of the DERMIS and the EPIDERMIS.
D013564	Sympathetic Nervous System	The thoracolumbar division of the autonomic nervous system. Sympathetic preganglionic fibers originate in neurons of the intermediolateral column of the spinal cord and project to the paravertebral and prevertebral ganglia, which in turn project to target organs. The sympathetic nervous system mediates the body's response to stressful situations, i.e., the fight or flight reactions. It often acts reciprocally to the parasympathetic system.	Nervous System, Sympathetic,Nervous Systems, Sympathetic,Sympathetic Nervous Systems,System, Sympathetic Nervous,Systems, Sympathetic Nervous