Cutaneous sensibility and peripheral nerve function in patients with unmedicated essential hypertension

Louisa Edwards, Christopher Ring, David McIntyre, John Winer, Una Martin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Sensorimotor deficits in patients with essential hypertension may be due to impaired nerve function. Cutaneous sensory thresholds, median nerve sensory and motor conduction velocities, and median nerve sensory action potential amplitudes were assessed in 30 patients with unmedicated essential hypertension and 29 normotensives. Cutaneous sensory thresholds were higher and sensory action potential amplitudes smaller in hypertensives than normotensives whereas sensory and motor nerve conduction velocities did not differ between groups. These data suggest that hypertension may reduce the number of active sensory nerve fibers without affecting myelination. Sensory action potential amplitudes were inversely related to cutaneous sensory thresholds, suggesting that subclinical axonal neuropathy of sensory afferents may help account for perceptual deficits that characterize hypertension.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)141-147
Number of pages7
JournalPsychophysiology
Volume45
Issue number1
Early online date2 Oct 2007
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2008

Keywords

  • essential hypertension
  • sensory action potential amplitudes
  • nerve conduction velocity
  • median nerve
  • cutaneous sensory thresholds

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Cutaneous sensibility and peripheral nerve function in patients with unmedicated essential hypertension'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this