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Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Translated Title

交感神經皮膚反應習慣化過程之波型

Abstract

For investigating autonomic function, sympathetic skin response (SSR) is usually used as a non-invasive test. In previous studies, SSR was applied in the patients with neurological diseases (such as stroke), and the amplitude of SSR was compared between the left and right hand (or foot). Most researchers used electrical limb stimulation to elicit SSR in both limbs. However, the symmetry of SSR in healthy subjects has not been well established. Besides, SSR testing may affect the symmetry of SSR. Moreover, although habituation phenomena are commonly seen during SSR testing, few studies have discussed the symmetry of SSR during repetitive SSR testing. In this study the glabella (a midline location) was electrically stimulated in healthy subjects to elicit SSR in both hands and the relationship was analyzed between the symmetry of SSR and the process of habituation on both sides.A total of 20 healthy subjects (6 males and 14 females, age ranging from 23 to 35 years with a mean of 26.8) were recruited. SSRs were elicited in bilateral hands by stimuli (10 consecutive stimuli every 30 seconds) applied to the glabella. The amplitude ratio of left-to-right palmar response was transformed to base-10 logarithms for analysis. Three sets of analysis were performed: (1) Intra-subject SSR variation: The variability in the amplitude ratio logarithm of all response waves was studied in each subject. The standard deviation in the amplitude ratio logarithm of 20 subjects ranged from 0.025 to 0.15. (2) Inter-subject SSR variation: The response waves to the 1(superscript st) ES (electrical stimulation) of all subjects as a group and to the 2(superscript nd) ES as a group were classified. The standard deviation of the amplitude ratio logarithm in 10 groups increased significantly from 0.1 (ratio 1.28) at the 1(superscript st) stimulus to 0.185 (ratio 1.53) at the 10(superscript th) stimulus as the mean amplitude decreased from 8.72±3.01 mV (right palm) at the 1(superscript st) stimulus to 3.8±1.97 mV (right palm) at the 10(superscript th) stimulus. Increased variability was found as the mean amplitude of the response waves decreased (Spearman correlation: p=0.002). (3) Waveform and SSR variation: According to previous studies, all the SSR response waves were classified as either P waves or N waves. The standard deviation in the amplitude ratio logarithm was 0.121 (ratio 1.32) in the P wave group and 0.147 (ratio 1.40) in the N wave group. Increased variability was found in the N wave group (F test: p=0.003). Variability in the left-to-right amplitude ratio existed during the habituation process of healthy subjects. This suggested that a peripheral component may contribute to the mechanism of SSR habituation. Additionally, variability in the left-to-right amplitude ratio logarithms increased as SSR wave amplitude decreased or as N-type wave appeared in the habituation process. In conclusion, we suggest that initial SSR waves with larger amplitude or P type should be used to reduce variability in side-to-side comparisons.

Language

Traditional Chinese

First Page

157

Last Page

166

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