State of the peripheral nervous system in patients with hypothalamic insufficiency.

Abstract

An investigation was carried out by non-invasive techniques of the state of the peripheral nervous system in patients with a constitutional-acquired form of hypothalamic insufficiency. Ten healthy individuals were included in the control group. The presence of subclinical parasympathetic vegetative insufficiency was identified by cardiovascular tests. It was more marked in patients with an early onset of the neuroendocrine disturbances and longer course of the disease. In the opinion of the authors, this suggests the constitutional-acquired character of the vegetative disturbances. In addition, a slowing of the speed of conduction through the sudomotor preganglionic sympathetic fibers in the upper and lower extremities and the predominance of these disturbances in the group of patients with pronounced dysraphic status were identified. The latter suggests a defect of the laying down of these peripheral vegetative fibers. This investigation makes it possible to hypothesize that subclinical peripheral insufficiency is one of the factors governing the occurrence of both permanent (tachycardia, elevations of AP, hyperhidrosis) and paroxysmal vegetative disturbances (panic attacks, migraine) in hypothalamic insufficiency.