Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Improved technique for testing autonomic dysfunction: evaluation of transient behaviour of the autonomic response

  • Physiological Measurement
  • Published:
Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

    We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.

    Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.

Abstract

The transient behaviour of the autonomic response has been studied by means of a reactometer incorporating self-balancing of the electrodermal impedance. This instrument has been used for the indirect measurement of certain parameters associated with the autonomic response detected as skin electrical resistance relative variation (SERV) and capacitance (SECV). Transient signals of the electrodermal impedance response were obtained online by differentiating the analogue output of the impedance reactometer: d(SERV)/dt and d(SECV)/dt. We describe here how the use of the transient signals of the electrodermal impedance response can improve the accuracy and reduce variability and dispersion of the results and how autonomic conduction velocities (ACV) can be indirectly measured.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Berne, C. andFagius, J. (1986) Skin nerve sympathetic activity during insulin-induced hypoglycaemia.Diabetologia,29, 855–860.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Best, J. D., Kirsner, R. L. andPestell, R. G. (1988) skin potential response is a sensitive measure of sympathetic cholinergic abnormalities in diabetes. (Abstract)Diabetes Res. Clin. Pract.,5, Suppl. 1, S 56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bini, G., Hagbarth, K. E., Hynninen, P. andWallin, B. G. (1980) Thermoregulatory and rhythm-generating mechanisms governing the sudomotor an vasoconstrictor outflow in human cutaneous nerves.J. Physiol.,306, 537–552.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boulton, A. J., Knight, G., Drury, J. andWard, J. D. (1985) The prevalence of symptomatic diabetic neuropathy in an insulin-treated population.Diabetes Care,8, 125–181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dampney, R. A. L. andMcAllen, R. M. (1988) Differential control of sympathetic fibres supplying hindlimb skin and muscle by subretrofacial neurones in the cat.J. Physiol.,395, 41–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duchen, L. W., Angorin, A., Watkins, P. J. andMackay, J. D. (1980) Pathology of autonomic neuropathy in diabetes mellitus.Ann. Intern. Med.,92, 301–302.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelberg, R., andBurch, N. R. (1962) skin resistance and galvanic skin response.Arch. Gen. Psychiat.,7, 163–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelberg, R. (1967) Electrical properties of the skin. InMethods in psychophysiology.Brown, C. C. (Ed.), Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, Maryland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelberg, R. (1968) Biopotentials from the skin surface: the hydration effect. InBioelectrodes.Fedor, W. (Ed.),Ann. NY Acad. Sci.,148, 252–262.

  • Edelberg, R. (1971) Electical properties of the skin. InA treatise on skin, Vol. 1.Elden, H. R. (Ed.), Wiley, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ewing, D. J. andClarke, B. F. (1986) Diabetic autonomic neuropathy: present insight and future prospects.Diabetes Care,9, 648–665.

    Google Scholar 

  • Faerman, I., Faccis, E., Calb, I., Razumny, J., Franco, N., Dominiquez, A. andPodesta, H. A. (1982) Autonomic neuropathy in the skin: a histological study of the sympathetic nerve fibres in diabetic anhydrosis.Diabetologia,92, 96–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fagius, J. andJameson, S. (1981) Effects of aldose reductase inhibitor treatment in diabetic polyneuropathy—a clinical and neurophysiological study.J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat.,44, 991–1001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fagius, J. (1982) Microneurographic findings in diabetic polyneuropathy with special reference to symphathetic nerve activity.Diabetologia,23, 415–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fowles, D. C. (1973) Mechanisms of electrodermal activity. InMethods in physiological psychology, Vol. I: Biolelectric recording techniques, Part C, Receptor and effector processes.Thompson, R. F. andPatterson, M. M. (Eds.), Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Genovely, H. andPfeifer, M. A. (1988) R. R.—variation: the autonomic test of choice in diabetes.Diabetes/Metabolism Rev.,4, (3), 255–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hilsted, J. (1984) Testing for autonomic neuropathy.Ann. Clin. Res.,16, 128–135.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ionescu-Tîgrovişe, C., Pruna, S., Costea, M., Cheta, D. andMincu, I. (1987) The significance of stress in the aetiopathogenesis of Type II diabetes mellitus.Stress Med.,3, 277–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy, W. R., Sakuta, M., Sutherland, D. andGoetz, F. C. (1984) Quantitation of the sweating deficiency in diabetes mellitus.Ann. Neurol.,15, 482–488.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koepchen, H. P., Henning, H. A. andKlussendorf, D. (1987) Integrative neurovegetative and motor control: phenomena and theory.Functional Neurol.,2, 389–406.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lykken, D. T., Miller, R. D. andStrahan, R. F. (1968) Some properties of skin conductance and potential.Psychophysiology,5, 253–268.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lykken, D. T. andVenables, P. H. (1971) Direct measurement of skin conductance: a proposal for standardization.,8, 656–672.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mincu, I., Ionescu-Tîrgovişte, C., Prună, S., Băjenaru, O. andGolcea, D. (1985) The variation of skin electrical resistance induced by a sensorial stimulus as indicator of peripheral autonomic dysfunction (abstract).Acta Diabetol. Romana,11, 137–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montagna, P., Salvi, F. andLiguari, R. (1988) Sympathetic skin response in familial amyloid polyneuropathy (Letter).Muscle & Nerve,11, 183–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montagu, J. D. andColes, E. M. (1966) Mechanism and measurement of the galvanic skin response.Psychol. Bull.,65, 261–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niakan, E. andHarati, Y. (1988) Sympathetic skin response in diabetic peripheral neuropathy.Muscle & Nerve,11, 261–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prună, S. andIonescu-Tîrgovişte, C. (1987) Dual-channel self-balancing electrodermal impedance reactometer for autonomic response studies.Med. & Biol. Eng. & Comput.,25, 613–619.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prună, S., Ionescu-Tîrgovişte, C., Mamulaş, I. andBajenaru, O. (1987) Noninvasive evaluation in autonomic response using a dual-channel self-balancing electrodermal impedance reactometer. 9th Ann. Conf. of IEEE EMBS, Boston, 13th–16th Nov., 643–644.

  • Prună, S., Ionescu-Tîrgovişte, C. andNicu, M. D. (1988) Non-invasive method for indirectly obtaining autonomic conduction velocity. 10th Ann. Conf. of IEEE EMBS, New Orleans, 4th–7th Nov., 595–596.

  • Ryder, R. E. J., Marshall, R., Johnson, K., Ryder, A. P., Owens, D. R. andHayes, T. M. (1988) Acetylcholine sweatspot test for autonomic denervation.Lancet,1, 1303–1305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shahani, B. T., Halpenin, J. J., Boulu, P. andCohen, J. (1984) Sympathetic skin response—a method of assessing unmyelinated axon dysfunction in peripheral neuropathies.J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat.,47, 536–542.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solders, G. (1986) Autonomic dysfunction in polyneuropathy. Thesis, Department of Neurology & Clinical Physiology, Section of Clinical Neurophysiology, Karolinska Institute and Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soliven, B., Maselli, R., Jaspan, J., Green, A., Graziano, H., Petersen, M. andSpire, J. (1987) Sympathetic skin response in diabetic neuropathy.Muscle & Nerve,10, 711–716.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, P. J. andEdmonds, M. E. (1983) Sympathetic nerve failure in diabetes.Diabetologia,25, 73–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weinberg, C. R. andPfeifer, M. A. (1984) An improved method for measuring heart-rate variability: assessment of cardiac autonomic function.Biometrics,40, 855–861.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Electrophysiology & Biomedical Engineering, Clinic of Diabetes, Nutrition & Metabolic Diseases, I. Movilă Street 5-7, 79811, Bucharest, Romania

    S. Prună

Authors
  1. S. Prună
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Prună, S. Improved technique for testing autonomic dysfunction: evaluation of transient behaviour of the autonomic response. Med. Biol. Eng. Comput. 28, 119–126 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02441766

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02441766

Keywords

Search

Navigation