Earticle

Oxidative stress has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study aimed to investigate a link between malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, pulmonary function, and cardiac autonomic control in patients with COPD. Plasma levels of MDA, heart rate variability, and pulmonary function were mea-sured in 50 clinically stable COPD patients and 50 normal male controls. COPD patients exhibited lower means of the standard deviations of all normal to normal (NN) intervals (SDNN), the square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent NN intervals (RMSSD), and high frequency (HF). Nevertheless, they presented great-er low frequency (LF) and low frequency/high frequency ratio (LF/HF ra-tio) in supine and head-up tilt positions than controls (P<0.001). More-over, a negative correlation between MDA levels with SDNN (P<0.001) and a positive correlation with LF (P<0.01) and LF/HF ratio (P<0.05) were observed in both positions. In COPD patients, plasma MDA levels were 2.3 times greater than controls (4.33±2.03 μM vs. 1.89±0.39 μM, P<0.001), and they were inversely correlated with forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 sec, midexpiratory flow, and peak expira-tory flow (P<0.001). Our findings suggest a potential role for oxidative stress in impaired cardiac autonomic control and clinical relevance of plasma MDA levels as a predictor of severity of COPD in COPD patients.

Objective To quantify autonomic dysfunction in fibromyalgia patients compared to healthy controls using heart rate variability (HRV).Methods Sixteen patients with fibromyalgia and 16 healthy controls were recruited in this case control study. HRV was measured using the time-domain method incorporating the following parameters: total heartbeats, the mean of intervals between consecutive heartbeats (R-R intervals), the standard deviation of normal to normal R-R intervals (SDNN), the square root of the mean squared differences of successive R-R intervals (RMSSD), ratio of SDNN to RMSSD (SDNN/RMSSD), and difference between the longest and shortest R-R interval under different three conditions including normal quiet breathing, rate controlled breathing, and Valsalva maneuver. The severity of autonomic symptoms in the group of patients with fibromyalgia was measured by Composite Autonomic Symptom Scale 31 (COMPASS 31). Then we analyzed the difference between the fibromyalgia and control groups and the correlation between the COMPASS 31 and aforementioned HRV parameters in the study groups.Results Patients with fibromyalgia had significantly higher SDNN/RMSSD values under both normal quiet breathing and rate controlled breathing compared to controls. Differences between the longest and shortest R-R interval under Valsalva maneuver were also significantly lower in patients with fibromyalgia than in controls. COMPASS 31 score was negatively correlated with SDNN/RMSSD values under rate controlled breathing.Conclusion SDNN/RMSSD is a valuable parameter for autonomic nervous system function and can be used to quantify subjective autonomic symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia.

Obesity is associated with reduced exercise tolerance, yet the physio-logical mechanisms underlying this impairment remain unclear. This study examined whether oxygen uptake (V̇O2) kinetics reflect autonom-ic regulation during prolonged moderate-intensity exercise in normal- weight and obese males. This cross-sectional study included nine nor-mal-weight and nine obese males (aged 20–22) who performed 30 min of constant-load cycling at 70% of ventilatory threshold to assess V̇O2 kinetics and heart rate variability (HRV) responses. V̇O2 kinetics param-eters—including the time constant (τ), which reflects the rate of car-diopulmonary and muscular adjustment to exercise, and the V̇O2 drift slope—were analyzed. HRV was assessed at rest and during exercise. Changes in HRV and their correlations with V̇O2 kinetics and perceived fatigue were evaluated. The obese group had a significantly longer τ than the normal-weight group, despite similar relative intensities. During exercise, HRV indices—including overall HRV, low-frequency, very low-frequency, and the standard deviation along the line of identity (SD2) —were significantly lower in the obese group, indicating attenuated autonomic responsiveness. In the normal-weight group, the slope was strongly correlated with the changes in the root mean square of suc-cessive differences, the high-frequency power, the standard deviation perpendicular to the line of identity (SD1), and SD1/SD2 (r=-0.769 to -0.857; P<0.05), whereas these associations were absent in the obese group. These findings suggest that in normal-weight individuals, V̇O2 ki-netics are closely linked to autonomic modulation during prolonged ex-ercise, whereas this link is disrupted in obesity, potentially leading to re-duced aerobic efficiency and greater exercise intolerance.

만성통증을 동반한 류마티즘 환자에서 자율신경계 이상(autonomic nervous system dysfunction)이 동반되 기도 한다. 특히 만성통증 환자에서 자율신경계 이상은 국소 통증 강도 증가 및 통증 역치 감소를 발생하여 만성 근골 격계 통증에 악영향을 미친다고 확인되었다. 이런 만성 근골격계 통증 환자에 온열-척추 마사지 치료를 실시한 실험에 서 통증경감과 자율신경계 회복이 되었다고 보고되고 있다. 그래서 우리는 만성 통증과 자율신경계 이상이 동반된 류마 티즘 환자에 온열-척추 마사지 치료를 적용하였고 자율신경기능의 회복과 통증의 감소를 경험한 사례가 있어 보고하고자 한다.

Rheumatoid arthritis (“RA”), whose characteristics are chronic inflammation and chronic pain, accompanies autonomic nervous system(ANS) dysfunction. In particular, ANS dysfunction in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain was found to have increased the local pain intensity while lowering the pain threshold, thereby negatively influencing pain. It is reported that thermo-spinal massage affects relief of chronic pain and recovery of ANS in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Therefore, we report a case of rheumatoid patients with chronic pain and ANS dysfunction, who experienced recovery of ANS dysfunction and pain reduction by applying thermo-spinal massage treatment.

Autonomic dysfunction occurs frequently in multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Patients with either condition may present with autonomic symptoms such as bladder, sexual, cardiovascular, thermoregulatory, and gastrointestinal dysfunction, and fatigue, but autonomic symptoms that affect quality of life are underrecognized in clinical practice. The immunopathogenesis of MS has been considered to be associated with autonomic dysfunction. Applying appropriate treatment strategies for autonomic dysfunction is important to improve the quality of life of patients. Here we review autonomic dysfunction and how this is managed in patients with MS and NMOSD.

Orthostatic dizziness is feeling dizzy or lightheaded when standing up. Hemodynamic orthostatic dizziness can be caused by autonomic dysfunction such as orthostatic hypotension or postural tachycardia syndrome. The interpretation of the autonomic function test results in patients with orthostatic dizziness is crucial for diagnosing and managing the underlying condition. The head-up tilt and Valsalva tests are especially important for evaluating adrenergic function in patients with hemodynamic orthostatic dizziness. However, it is important to note that autonomic function tests do not cover the entire diagnostic process, since their findings need to be considered along with the detailed history and physical examination results of the patient because various differential diagnoses exist for orthostatic dizziness. Ensuring appropriate treatment by interpreting the autonomic function test results can help to determine the improvement of and prevents falls from orthostatic dizziness.

Sleep disorder has been portrayed as merely a common dissatisfaction with sleep quality and quantity. However, sleep disorder is actually a medical condition characterized by inconsistent sleep patterns that interfere with emotional dynamics, cognitive functioning, and even physical performance. This is consistent with sleep abnormalities being more common in patients with autonomic dysfunction than in the general population. The autonomic nervous system coordinates various visceral functions ranging from respiration to neuroendocrine secretion in order to maintain homeostasis of the body. Because the cell population and efferent signals involved in autonomic regulation are spatially adjacent to those that regulate the sleep-wake system, sleep architecture and autonomic coordination exert effects on each other, suggesting the presence of a bidirectional relationship in addition to shared pathology. The primary goal of this review is to highlight the bidirectional and shared relationship between sleep and autonomic regulation. It also introduces the effects of autonomic dysfunction on insomnia, breathing disorders, central disorders of hypersomnolence, parasomnias, and movement disorders. This information will assist clinicians in determining how neuromodulation can have the greatest therapeutic effects in patients with sleep disorders.

We present a patient with a primitive neuroectodermal tumor arising from the right atrium who experienced multiple syncope episodes daily, which had first appeared 1 month after surgery. The symptoms continued to worsen over the course of chemotherapy, and the autonomic function test (AFT) was performed after the 14th chemotherapy cycle. The AFT revealed orthostatic hypotension and reduced baroreflex-dependent sympathetic reactivity. Physical counterpressure techniques were applied with a visual biofeedback intervention, and were found to be effective in reducing the syncope episodes.

Background/Aims: To determine the prevalence of autonomic dysfunction among Korean patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) and its associations with the clinical features of pSS. Methods: We analyzed 154 participants from the Korean Initiative of primary Sjogren’s Syndrome (KISS) as a prospective pSS cohort and 154 age- and sexmatched healthy controls. A standardized 5-minute, supine, resting heart rate variability (HRV) test was performed, and autonomic dysfunction was defined as standard deviation of normal-to-normal RR intervals (SDNN) < 30 ms in patients < 50 years old and SDNN < 20 ms in patients ≥ 50 years old. The associations between autonomic dysfunction and various clinical features of pSS were analyzed. Results: The overall autonomic activity in patients with pSS was significantly lower than that in controls. Autonomic dysfunction with the HRV test was observed in 35.7% of the KISS participants and was associated with a higher European League Against Rheumatism Sjogren’s Syndrome Patient Reported Index fatigue score (p = 0.024). Raynaud’s phenomenon was a more frequent clinical presentation in pSS patients with autonomic dysfunction than in those without autonomic dysfunction (29.4% and 14.4%, respectively; p = 0.048). Decreased parasympathetic activity was observed in 41.6% of pSS patients. No differences were found in the oral and ocular signs of pSS according to the decreased parasympathetic activity. Conclusions: In Korean patients with pSS, decreased and imbalanced autonomic activity is prevalent and is associated with fatigue. However, an association between autonomic dysfunction and glandular manifestations was not detected.

Complications that occur during cancer therapy have emerged as a major contributor to the poor quality of life experienced by cancer patients as they live longer due to improved treatments. Many studies have investigated chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, but few have investigated the autonomic nervous system. Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction (CAD) contributes to the distressing symptoms experienced by cancer patients, and it is also related to poor treatment outcomes. CAD has a multifactorial etiology in patients with cancer: it can be caused by the cancer itself, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, or other comorbidities. Its symptoms are nonspecific, and they include orthostatic hypotension, resting tachycardia, dizziness, chest tightness, and exertional dyspnea. It is important to suspect CAD and perform therapeutic interventions in a clinical context, because a patient who is more frail is less like to endure the treatment process. The quality of life of patients receiving active cancer treatments can be improved by evaluating the risk of CAD before and after chemotherapy, and combining both nonpharmacological and pharmacological management. Here we review the prevalence, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of CAD, which is the most common and a sometimes serious symptom in cancer patients.

Background and Purpose Recent studies have shown that several nonmotor symptoms differ between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP). However, there have been no reports on cardiovascular autonomic function in DIP, and so this study investigated whether cardiovascular autonomic function differs between PD and DIP patients. Methods This study consecutively enrolled 20 DIP patients, 99 drug-naive PD patients, and 25 age-matched healthy controls who underwent head-up tilt-table testing and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Results Orthostatic hypotension was more frequent in patients with PD or DIP than in healthy controls. In DIP, orthostatic hypotension was associated with the underlying psychiatric diseases and neuroleptics use, whereas prokinetics were not related to orthostatic hypotension. The supine blood pressure, nighttime blood pressure, and nocturnal blood pressure dipping did not differ significantly between the DIP and control groups. Supine hypertension and nocturnal hypertension were more frequent in PD patients than in controls. Conclusions The included DIP patients frequently exhibited orthostatic hypotension that was associated with the underlying diseases as well as the nature of and exposure time to the offending drugs. Clinicians should individualize the manifestations of DIP according to underlying diseases as well as the action mechanism of and exposure time to each offending drug.

Background: The pathophysiology of fibromyalgia (FM) involves many mechanisms including central nervous system sensitization theory, autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction, and recently small fiber neuropathy. While the small fiber neuropathy itself can cause ANS dysfunction and neuropathic pain (NP), it is still unknown whether ANS problems have an association with severity of disease and NP in patients with FM. The aim of this study was to evaluate ANS dysfunction in FM patients and to explore possible associations of ANS dysfunction with disease severity and NP. Methods: Twenty-nine FM patients and 20 healthy controls were included in this cross-sectional study. Participants were tested using sympathetic skin responses (SSR) and R-R interval variation analyses for sympathetic and parasympathetic ANS dysfunction, respectively. Disease severity and somatic symptoms of patients with FM were evaluated using the ACR-2010 scales and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, and NP symptoms were evaluated using the Pain Detect Questionnaire and Douleur Neuropathique questionnaire. Results: FM patients were found to have ANS dysfunction characterized by increased sympathetic response and decreased parasympathetic response. SSR amplitudes were found to be correlated with a more severe disease. Although nonsignificant, NP severity tended to be associated with a decrease in sympathetic and parasympathetic activities. Conclusions: ANS dysfunction may play a role in the pathophysiology of FM. The trend of decreased ANS functions in FM patients exhibiting NP contradicts the notion that FM is a sympathetically maintained NP and may be explained with small fiber involvement.

Objective This study investigates the relationship between depression, autonomic dysfunction, inhibitory control (IC), and reaction time by analyzing heart rate variability (HRV) during a cognitive task.Methods A total of 29 healthy males and 25 males diagnosed with depression (aged 20?35 years) participated. HRV data were recorded during the Conners Continuous Performance Test-II (CCPT-II) in each group. HRV parameters, including mean RR intervals, standard deviation of normal-to-normal heartbeats (SDNN), low-frequency power with logarithm (lnLF), and high-frequency power with logarithm (lnHF), were analyzed and correlated with IC (d’) and reaction time.Results The depression group exhibited significantly lower lnHF values compared to the healthy group. SDNN and lnLF decreased in both groups during CCPT-II. In the healthy group, d’ correlated significantly with SDNN, lnLF, and lnHF at t14 and across the test duration. However, in the depression group, only RR intervals correlated with d’. A significant correlation between reaction time and HRV was noted at t14 in the healthy group, suggesting autonomic nervous system (ANS) involvement in cognitive performance.Conclusion Reaction time in healthy individuals correlated with ANS function during later stages of CCPT-II, whereas depression disrupted this association. The lower d’ in the depression group was not due to a speed-accuracy trade-off but rather a more pronounced neural network impairment. These findings suggest that depression impairs both IC and autonomic regulation.

Background and Purpose: The potential association between the severity of autonomic dysfunction and peripheral neuropathy has not been extensively investigated, with the few studies yielding inconsistent results. We evaluated the relationship between autonomic dysfunction and peripheral neuropathy in chronic hemodialysis patients in a cross-sectional study. Methods: Cardiovascular autonomic function was assessed in 42 consecutive patients with chronic renal failure treated by hemodialysis, using a standardized battery of 5 cardiovascular reflex tests. Symptoms of autonomic dysfunction and of peripheral neuropathy were evaluated using the Autonomic Neuropathy Symptom Score (ANSS) and the Neuropathy Symptoms Score. Neurological deficits were assessed using the Neuropathy Disability Score. Conduction velocities along the sensory and motor fibers of the sural and peroneal nerves were measured. Thermal thresholds were documented using a standardized psychophysical technique. Results: Parasympathetic and sympathetic dysfunction was prevalent in 50% and 28% of cases,respectively. Peripheral neuropathy was identified in 25 cases (60%). The prevalence of peripheral neuropathy did not differ between patients with impaired (55%) and normal (75%) autonomic function (p=0.297; Fisher’s exact test). The electrophysiological parameters for peripheral nerve function, neuropathic symptoms, abnormal thermal thresholds, age, gender, and duration of dialysis did not differ significantly between patients with and without autonomic dysfunction. Patients with autonomic dysfunction were more likely to have an abnormal ANSS (p=0.048). The severity of autonomic dysfunction on electrophysiological testing was positively correlated with ANSS (r=0.213, p=0.036). Conclusions: The present data indicate that although cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction is prevalent among patients with chronic renal failure, it is not associated with the incidence of peripheral neuropathy.

Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS) is a rare, serious complication of carotid revascularization either after carotid endarterectomy or carotid stent placement. Although extensive effort has been devoted to reducing the incidence of CHS, little is known about the prevention. Postprocedural hypertension is very rare due to autoregulation of carotid baroreceptors but may occur if presented with autonomic dysfunction. We present two cases of CHS after cerebral revascularization that presented autonomic dysfunction.

Background: Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction is one of the most frequent non-motor symptoms in idiopathic Parkinson disease (IPD). Several cardiovascular autonomic indexes (CAIs) have been reported to represent the degree of autonomic dysfunction in various neurodegenerative diseases. However, quantitative assessment by autonomic function tests in IPD has not been fully evaluated yet. The aim of this study is to investigate the usefulness of the quantitative autonomic test for detecting subclinical cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction and their correlation to the clinical severity of motor symptoms in IPD. Methods: Four parasympathetic and sympathetic indexes during cardiovascular autonomic tests were compared between patients with IPD (n=31, age=65.8±9.14, Hoen&Yahr (H&Y) stage=2.1±0.68) and age matched healthy controls (n=30, age=63.2±7.56). Parasympathetic indexes include expiration:inspiration ratio (E:I ratio), valsalva ratio, 30:15 ratio, and vagal barosensitivity. Sympathetic indexes are pressure recovery time, sympathetic index 1, sympathetic index 3 and adrenergic baroseneitivity. To demonstrate the correlation between severity of clinical motor symptoms and the autonomic abnormality, we also compared the H&Y stage and the abnormalities of those CAIs. Results: E:I ratio (p=0.009) and Valsalva ratio (VR) (p<0.001) were significantly different between IPD and control groups. Among the parameters, E:I ratio (r=-0.466, p=0.005) showed significant negative correlation with severity of clinical motor symptoms in IPD (H&Y≤3). Conclusions: Among the CAIs, E:I ratio, VR are useful in detecting subclinical autonomic cardiovascular dysfunction in IPD. E:I ratio may be the possible evaluation method revealing the severity of clinical motor symptoms in IPD.

Background: There has been proposing reports that the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is involved in the pathophysiological mechanism of migraine. However, previous reports suggesting ANS dysfunction during migraine attack was not consistent and were focused mainly on comparison between migraine patients in interictal period and normal controls. The current study is designed to evaluate quantitative evidence of ANS dysfunction by comparing patients in ictal period with those in interictal period. Methods: We prospectively included 30 migraineurs in ictal period and 30 migraineurs in interictal period from August 2008 to August 2009. Sympathetic function was evaluated by blood pressure response to standing and isometric exercise. Parasympathetic function was evaluated by heart rate response to deep breathing, standing and the Valsalva maneuver. Results: In orthostatic test, falling of systolic blood pressure (SBP) after standing was prominent in ictal group. Although both groups showed elevation of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) after standing, the change was smaller in ictal group than intercital group. Elevation of DBP after isometric exercise was lower in ictal group without statistical significance. Results of parasympathetic function test were not significantly different between ictal and interictal patients. Conclusions: This study suggests that subjects with migraine had sympathetic hypofunction during migraine attack.

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Sjogren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia. Small-fiber neuropathy is rare, although neurological manifestations occur in as many as 30% of patients with Sjogren’s syndrome. We report herein a patient with Sjogren’s syndrome who presented with autonomic neuropathy and painful sensory neuropathy. Primary Sjogren’s syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis of small-fiber neuropathy.