Sympathetic Skin Response in Patients with Major Depressive Disorders

Abstract

Background & aim: Major depressive disorder is one of the most common psychiatric diseases. There is some evidence that the autonomic nervous system plays a role in depression. The sympathetic cutaneous response (SSR) is used to examine the autonomic system. Conventional nerve bands examine thick peripheral fibers, but in SSR we examine non-myelinated thin fibers. The aim of this study was to evaluate sympathetic skin test in patients with major depressive disorder. Methods: In the present case-control study, 39 patients participated in Shahid Rajaee Hospital related to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Sampling method was available and in two groups: 20 patients in case group (with major depressive disorder) (3 males and 2 females) and 4 patients in control group (2 males and 2 females) with The mean age of the patients was 2.7 and 2.6, respectively. The sympathetic skin response of both hands and feet was measured in response to electrical stimulation of the median nerve and tibia nerve. The mean values ​​of neural conduction delay and wave amplitude were evaluated. Data were analyzed using Shapiro Wilks and Mann-Whitney test. Results: a significant increase was observed in wave amplitude obtained from SSR of right and left median nerve of the case group (p> 0.05), while no significant difference was seen between the case and control groups in the amplitude of right and left lower limb tibia nerve as well as in delayed nerve conduction in median and tibia nerve. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, it was concluded that increased amplitude of sympathetic cutaneous response of the upper extremity could be useful in diagnosis and follow up of patients with major depressive disorder and indicates autonomic disorder.

Keywords

• major depressive disorder
• amplitude
• neural conduction delay
• autonomic nervous system
• sympathetic skin response
• electrodiagnosis