Skin sympathetic nerve activity in Guillain-Barré syndrome: A microneurographic study

Abstract

To assess autonomic dysfunction, skin sympathetic nerve activity (SSNA) of four patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome was microneurographically studied in the acute and remission phase. Autonomic symptoms such as sinus tachycardia, palmar hyperhidrosis, hypertension, and orthostatic hypotension were present in the acute phase, but all subsided during remission. Basal resting SSNA and the responses to various physical and mental stimuli were all increased in the acute phase and returned almost to normal during remission. Rate of response in sweat rate and blood flow against SSNA were kept proportionally constant during both the acute and remission phases. These findings suggest that some autonomic nerve symptoms of Guillain-Barré syndrome, particularly during the acute phase, are due to increased SSNA.