Effect of controlled hypoglycaemia on sympathetic skin response in patients with Type 1 diabetes and control subjects

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the quantity and mechanism of sudomotor function during euglycaemia and hypoglycaemia using sympathetic skin responses in patients with Type 1 diabetes and control subjects.

Methods: Sympathetic skin responses were measured in 16 patients with diabetes without neuropathy and in eight control subjects during euglycaemic and hypoglycaemic clamp.

Results: During hypoglycaemia, the number of repetitive synchronous sympathetic skin responses significantly increased in both groups (P<0.05), and this increase was significantly associated with the hypoglycaemia and sweating.

Conclusions: During hypoglycaemia the number of repetitive synchronous sympathetic skin responses was related to increased sweating according to the hypoglycaemic symptom score. This is best explained by central nervous system reactions. The sympathetic skin responses of the patients with Type 1 diabetes had a weaker correlation with hypoglycaemia and its symptoms, which was possibly attributable to an adaptation or a dysfunction of the patients' sudomotor pathways.