Peripheral neuropathy

Heart and Brain Hospital has available in its neurology clinic equipment for early diagnosis of peripheral diabetic polyneuropathy

✓ According to clinical studies, “Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy is seen in about 17% of patients with type 1 diabetes and in 22% of those with type 2 diabetes.”
✓ “Of patients with symptomatic autonomic dysfunction, 25% to 50% die within 1 to 5 years after diagnosis.”
✓ “History and physical examination are ineffective for the early diagnosis of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN), thus noninvasive tests are needed.”
✓ “Screening for diabetic polyneuropathy should be performed immediately after diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and 5 years after diagnosis of type 1 diabetes – 2005 American Diabetes Association (ADA) Standard of Diabetes Care.”
✓ “Only 2% of patients with diabetes are tested for CAN, even though they are at particularly high risk for cardiovascular complications and sudden cardiac death.”

How does it work?

The device allows for quantitative assessment of sweat response (sympathetic skin response and sudomotor function) under mild electrical stimulation and in just 5-6 minutes, completely painlessly, specialists can detect polyneuropathy at its earliest stage. In patients suffering from metabolic imbalance and associated inflammatory processes, the thinnest nerve fibres of the sweat glands are damaged first. Testing is recommended for symptoms such as decreased sensitivity, numbness or pain in the extremities in patients with hypertension, overweight or patients diagnosed with diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association clinical standards, this test should be performed immediately after diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and 5 years after diagnosis of type 1 diabetes.

The clinical applications of the new equipment are in the fields of endocrinology, neurology, cardiology, general medicine, pain management; for effective screening of cardiometabolic risk; in painful peripheral polyneuropathy with negative nerve conduction tests; in disorders of the autonomic nervous system, sweat secretion, cardiovascular and digestive systems, hypertension, etc.; in complex pain syndromes; in already diagnosed diabetic neuropathy; in enzyme disorders; in RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy); in autonomic dystonia; to evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacological agents.

 

What additional tests can we do with the new equipment?

✓ Painful fine fiber neuropathy when nerve conduction test results are normal;
✓ Disorders of the autonomic nervous system, which controls the sweat glands, heart, digestive system, other organs, and blood pressure
✓ Complex pain syndromes
✓ Diabetic neuropathies
✓ Enzyme disorders
✓ RSD (Reflex sympathetic dystrophy, complex regional pain syndrome)
✓ Dysautonomia
✓ Cosmetics and drug testing
✓ Dermatological tests
✓ Multiple system atrophy (Shy-Drager syndrome)

Analytical modules provide accurate ratios such as extracellular to intracellular water or fat mass to weight and present physicians with information on disorders that would otherwise require additional testing to diagnose.

The graphical presentation of the results is another advantage. It offers an overview and helps to visualize the data.

Price of the sympathetic skin response test: 100 BGN.

For more information and reservations: 064 678400