Stroke induces disturbances of autonomic system function.

Abstract Autonomic dysfunction in patients with stroke worsens their health status and can induce life-threatening complications. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of autonomic disturbances in post-stroke patients using selected methods and to analyse the correlation between their results. The examined group comprised 22 patients (mean age 64.6+/-8 years) with ischaemic stroke treated at the Department of Neurology in Zabrze. The evaluation of the autonomic nervous system was conducted using a questionnaire, cardiovascular reflex tests (Ewing battery) and a neurophysiological method (sympathetic skin response, SSR). All the tests demonstrated coexistence of dysautonomia in most patients. Abnormal score of the questionnaire was present in 72.7% of patients with ischaemic stroke. Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction (>or=2 abnormal cardiovascular tests) was diagnosed in 31.8% of patients. Abnormal SSR was found in 81.8% of patients. No association was found among results of the autonomic tests and age, sex, disease duration, aetiology and localization of the stroke focus. The results of the Ewing battery significantly correlated with the questionnaire (p=0.05) and SSR (p=0.03). The study confirmed the presence of autonomic disturbances of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic system in post-stroke patients. SSR is the most sensitive method and is useful in patients with various degrees of disability. The observed correlation between SSR and Ewing battery confirms the clinical usefulness of the neurophysiological method for the evaluation of the autonomic nervous system.