Abstract
In order to examine the relationship between Meniere's disease (MD) and autonomic nerve function, we analyzed sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve functions in 23 patients with MD using pulse wave velocity, RR interval and thermography. Fifty-seven patients with autonomic nerve dysfunction (AND) were also analyzed and compared with the MD patients.
The parameters examined were
1. pulse wave velocity (to evaluate sympathetic nerve, SN, function)
2. coefficient of variation of RR interval in static position (to evaluate parasympathetic nerve, PN, function)
3. thermography (to evaluate SN function)
Eight (34.8%) of the MD patients showed SN dysfunction (hyperfunction 3, hypofunction 5) and 2 patients with SN hypofunction showed duplicated PN dysfunction (hyperfunction 1, hypofunction 1). On the other hand, 37 (64.8%) of the AND patients showed various types of SN and PN dysfunction (28 patients with SN dysfunction-hyperfunction 20, hypofunction 8-and normal PN function, 6 patients with PN hypofunction and normal SN function, 2 patients with SN hyperfunction and PN hypofunction and 1 patient with SN and PN hypofunction). These results suggest that the AND in both groups was mainly SN dysfunction, differing from previous reports which indicated that PN hypofunction causes AND in MD. We conclude that our study evaluated SN function mainly and did not sufficiently examine PN function. Thus, further examination of PN function may be necessary.
