A comparison of sympathetic outflow to muscles between cervical spondylotic amyotrophy and ALS

• Published in: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Other Motor Neuron Disorders Vol. 3; no. 4; pp. 233 - 238
• Main Authors: Shindo, Kazumasa, Watanabe, Harue, Tanaka, Haruyuki, Nagasaka, Takamura, Tsunoda, Shin-ichi, Shiozawa, Zenji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 2002; Informa UK Limited
• Subjects: Age Factors; Aged; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - complications; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - pathology; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - physiopathology; Blood Pressure; Brachial Plexus Neuritis; Brachial Plexus Neuritis - pathology; Brachial Plexus Neuritis - physiopathology; Case-Control Studies; Cervical Spondylosis; Diagnosis, Differential; Differential Diagnosis; Disability Evaluation; Electroencephalography; Female; Head; Head - physiology; Heart Rate; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity; Posture; Posture - physiology; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy - etiology; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy - pathology; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy - physiopathology; Spinal Cord Compression; Spinal Cord Compression - pathology; Sympathetic Nervous System; Sympathetic Nervous System - physiopathology
• ISSN: 1466-0822
• DOI: 10.1080/146608202760839010

To confirm the diagnostic usefulness of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) in differentiation between cervical spondylotic amyotrophy (CSA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with cervical spondylosis (CS), MSNA, heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were recorded in 10 patients with CSA and ALS with CS, and age-matched healthy volunteers at rest and during head-up tilting. There were no differences in age, disability scores, pulmonary function, and HR or BP at rest between ALS and CSA groups. Resting MSNA was significantly greater in patients with ALS with CS than in comparison groups (P<0.001) with virtually no overlap between ALS and the CSA groups. During head-up tilting, changes in BP and MSNA were significantly less in patients with ALS than in patients with other subjects. MSNA at rest clearly differentiated CSA from ALS with CS, suggesting diagnostic utility.