Altered ventricular repolarization in central sympathetic dysfunction associated with spinal cord injury

Abstract

Complete injury to the cervical spinal cord results in total disruption of central sympathetic outflow. Although ventricular repolarization can be significantly influenced by disorders of autonomic function, the effects of cervical sympathectomy are unknown. Therefore, 40 subjects with complete chronic spinal cord injury were prospectively divided into 2 groups, half with total disruption of central sympathetic outflow (level of injury C 5 to C 8) known as the high level injury group, and half with nearly intact sympathetic innervation (T 10 to l 1) serving as controls. The completeness of autonomic dysfunction was verified by the cold presser response. ST-segment analysis of the resting surface electrocardiogram revealed multilead ST elevation in the high level injury group, with maximum ST height significantly higher than the control group (131 ± 21 [standard error] vs 47 ± 8 μV; p = 0.0005). Unlike the control subjects, maximal arm ergometry exercise in the high level injury subjects failed to decrease ST-segment height (δST = −3 ± 6 vs −43 ± 14 μV in controls; p = 0.02). This difference persisted even after matching for exercise capacity. However, during exogenous stimulation with the sympathomimetic amine isoproterenol, ST-segment height in the high level injury group markedly decreased (mean δST = −84 ± 26 vs −17 ± 18 μV in controls; p = 0.04). Thus, central sympathetic dysfunction regularly results in multilead ST-segment elevation that decreases to or below isoelectric baseline during low dose isoproterenol infusion. Unlike normal subjects and individuals with normal variant ST-segment elevation, ST height is not altered by exercise. These findings document that ST-segment height in man is greatly influenced by central sympathetic nervous activity both at baseline and during physiologic and pharmacologic stress.