Brain, Vol. 107, No. 1, 183-198, 1984
© 1984 Oxford University Press
research-article |
SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY IN MAN AFTER SPINAL CORD INJURY: OUTFLOW TO SKIN BELOW THE LESION
1From the Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Hospital S-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden 2From the Department of Rehabilitation, University Hospital S-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
Correspondence to:
Reprint requests to Dr B. Gunnar Wallin, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Hospital, S-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden.
Microelectrode recordings were made in peroneal skin nerve fascicles in 8 patients with functionally complete spinal cord lesions mainly at cervical levels. Spontaneous neural activity was sparse but deep breaths, abdominal pressure over the bladder and mechanical and electrical skin stimuli applied caudal to the spinal transection induced bursts of neural impulses after a latency of 0.5 to 1 s. The efferent discharges were conducted with a velocity of 0.75 m/s and were followed by cutaneous vasoconstriction and/or reduction of skin resistance. It is concluded that the neural bursts contained sympathetic impulses of spinal origin. No systematic changes of nerve activity were induced by changes of ambient temperature, suggesting that sympathetic thermoregulatory reflexes do not occur at spinal level in man. The vasoconstriction following a single sympathetic burst had a longer duration in the spinal patients than in normal subjects. The low level of spontaneous activity does not suggest permanent spinal sympathetic hyperactivity, but the prolonged episodes of vasoconstriction may contribute to attacks of high blood pressure in patients with spinal cord lesions.
Received April 19, 1983.
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