AUTONOMIC NERVOUS DISORDER IN MOTOR-NEURON DISEASE - A STUDY OF ADVANCED-STAGE PATIENTS

Autonomic functions were studied in 10 respiratory-support patients wi th motor neuron disease (MND) at its most advanced stage by means of h emodynamic function tests, The mean duration of disease was 83.4 month s (SD 28.0, range 50-140 months), All the patients in this study had l ost their ability to breathe spontaneously and were ventilated by resp irator. Hemodynamic function tests were performed in 8 out of 10 patie nts, These patients showed exaggerated sympathetic vasomotor reflexes, increased reflex hypertension and tachycardia in response to the cold presser test and increased response to administration of adrenaline, However, the responses to both the Aschner eyeball pressure test and i njection of atropine were normal, indicating normal parasympathetic ne rvous system function, Plasma and urine levels of norepinephrine, epin ephrine and their metabolites were almost normal in all 10 patients, a s were serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase levels, In patients with the mo st advanced stage of MND, hyperfunction of the adrenergic sympathetic nervous system was observed, and this was considered to be a symptom c haracteristic of MND.