RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIABETIC AUTONOMIC NEUROPATHY AND PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY AS ASSESSED BY POWER SPECTRAL-ANALYSIS OF HEART-RATE VARIATIONS AND VIBRATORY PERCEPTION THRESHOLDS

To investigate the relationship between diabetic autonomic and periphe ral neuropathies, we carried out power spectral analysis (PSA) of hear t rate variations and determined the vibratory perception threshold (V PT) in diabetic subjects (DM). The VPT, measured with a Suzuki-Matsuok a Vibrometer (SMV-5), was greater in diabetic subjects than in control s. The low frequency (LF) component of the PSA which represents sympat hetic nervous activity and the high frequency (HF) component of the PS A which indicates parasympathetic nervous activity were significantly decreased in diabetic subjects when compared to values in the controls . In addition, there were significant inverse correlations between the LF and HF components of the PSA of heart rate variations and the VPT. These results suggest that the PSA of heart rate variations and the m easurement of VPT are useful tools for evaluating diabetic autonomic a nd peripheral neuropathies.