Correlation between “oketsu” syndrome and autonomic nervous activity

In order to clarify the correlation between “oketsu” syndrome and autonomic nervous activity, subjects were evaluated with laser Doppler flowmetry and spectral analyses of R-R intervals (RRs) and systolic blood pressure (SBP). According to the diagnostic criteria of “oketsu”, the “oketsu” score (OS) was evaluated. In a sectional study, the results showed that a significant decrease in skin blood flow (SBF) was observed in proportion to the severity of the “oketsu” state, and the low-frequency component of SBP (SBP-LF) in the “oketsu” state was significantly larger than that in the non-“oketsu” state. In a diachronic study, the changes in OS and the parameters between week 0 and 12 weeks later were investigated, with the quantity of each change being calculated as Δ-. Δ-SBF showed a significant negative correlation with Δ-OS, and Δ-RR-L/H, Δ-SBP-LF and Δ-SBP-L/H revealed significant positive correlations with D-OS. It is known that SBF changes with sympathetic nervous activity, and SBP-LF and SBP-L/H reflect a-sympathetic nervous activity. These results suggest that α-sympathetic nervous activity increased in the “oketsu” state, and this significant relationship was maintained even after change in the “oketsu” state.