The asymmetry of the activity of sympathetic nervous system in the patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

English Keywords:Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis  Sympathetic nervous system  Sympathetic skin response

English Abstract:

  【Abstract】 Objectives: To explore the probable associations of the sympathetic nervous system(SNS) activity with the etiology in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis(AIS). Methods: A prospective study including 68 right thoracic AIS female patients, 5 congenital scoliosis(CS) and 28 healthy girls with a mean age of 14.2±2.4y(11-18y), 14.7±3.1y(12-18y) and 17.9±4.0y(11-22y), respectively was carried out. The mean Cobb angle of major curve in AIS was 37.2°±13.5°(11°-64°). The asymmetry of SNS activity was presented by the right/left(R/L) ratios of latency and the amplitude of sympathetic skin response(SSR) obtained in upper and lower limbs. Student′s t test was used in inter- and intra-group comparisons. A statistically significant difference was defined by P<0.05. Results: In the normal control group, there was no significant difference in the L/R ratios of latency and amplitude of SSR in upper and lower limbs between adolescents(13.6±2.8y, 11-17y) and young adults(20.7±1.2y, 19-22y)(P>0.05). The R/L ratios of the latency in AIS upper limbs(1.01±0.05) were significantly greater than those in normal controls(0.98±0.04, P=0.036), which indicated that the symmetry of the SNS activities in AIS was significantly different from that in normal controls; while there were no significant differences in the R/L ratios of the upper limb amplitude, lower limb latency and lower limb amplitude between AIS and normal controls(P>0.05). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the R/L ratios of the latency and amplitude between normal controls and CS(P>0.05); meanwhile, no significant difference was found in the R/L ratios of latency and the amplitude between AIS patients with mild curve(<40°) and those with great curve(≥40°)(P>0.05), which showed no significant association between the curve severity and the abonormality of SNS activity in AIS. Conclusions: The asymmetry of SNS activity in AIS female patients is significantly different from that in normal controls, which indicates a probable involvement of the abnormality of the SNS activity in the etiology of AIS, but is not associated with the severity