Assessment of cutaneous axon-reflex responses to evaluate functional integrity of autonomic small nerve fibers

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Mido M Hijazi - , Department of Neurosurgery, University Vascular Centre (Author)
  • Sylvia J Buchmann - , Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (Author)
  • Annahita Sedghi - , Department of Neurology, University Vascular Centre (Author)
  • Ben M Illigens - , Harvard Medical School (HMS) (Author)
  • Heinz Reichmann - , Department of Neurology, University Vascular Centre (Author)
  • Gabriele Schackert - , University Vascular Centre (Author)
  • Timo Siepmann - , Department of Neurology, University Vascular Centre (Author)

Abstract

Cutaneous autonomic small nerve fibers encompass unmyelinated C-fibers and thinly myelinated Aδ-fibers, which innervate dermal vessels (vasomotor fibers), sweat glands (sudomotor fibers), and hair follicles (pilomotor fibers). Analysis of their integrity can capture early pathology in autonomic neuropathies such as diabetic autonomic neuropathy or peripheral nerve inflammation due to infectious and autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, intraneural deposition of alpha-synuclein in synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease can lead to small fiber damage. Research indicated that detection and quantitative analysis of small fiber pathology might facilitate early diagnosis and initiation of treatment. While autonomic neuropathies show substantial etiopathogenetic heterogeneity, they have in common impaired functional integrity of small nerve fibers. This impairment can be evaluated by quantitative analysis of axonal responses to iontophoretic application of adrenergic or cholinergic agonists to the skin. The axon-reflex can be elicited in cholinergic sudomotor fibers to induce sweating and in cholinergic vasomotor fibers to induce vasodilation. Currently, only few techniques are available to quantify axon-reflex responses, the majority of which is limited by technical demands or lack of validated analysis protocols. Function of vasomotor small fibers can be analyzed using laser Doppler flowmetry, laser Doppler imaging, and laser speckle contrast imaging. Sudomotor function can be assessed using quantitative sudomotor axon-reflex test, silicone imprints, and quantitative direct and indirect testing of sudomotor function. More recent advancements include analysis of piloerection (goose bumps) following stimulation of adrenergic small fibers using pilomotor axon-reflex test. We provide a review of the current literature on axon-reflex tests in cutaneous autonomic small fibers.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1685-1696
Number of pages12
JournalNeurological Sciences
Volume41
Issue number7
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2020
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMedCentral PMC7359149
Scopus 85081537159

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • Axons, Humans, Nerve Fibers, Reflex, Skin, Sweating