Does dialysis therapy improve autonomic and peripheral nervous system abnormalities in chronic uraemia?

• Published in: Journal of internal medicine 2000-07, Vol.248 (1), p.21-26
• Main Authors: Laaksonen, S., Voipio‐Pulkki, L.‐M., Erkinjuntti, M., Asola, M., Falck, B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: autonomic nervous system; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases - etiology; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases - therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic Disease; dialysis; Female; Follow-Up Studies; heart rate variability; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic - complications; Kidney Failure, Chronic - therapy; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; Nephropathies. Renovascular diseases. Renal failure; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - etiology; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - therapy; polyneuropathy; Renal Dialysis; Renal failure; Retrospective Studies; uraemia; Uremia - therapy
• ISSN: 0954-6820; 1365-2796
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2796.2000.00690.x

. Laaksonen S, Voipio‐Pulkki L‐M, Erkinjuntti M, Asola M, Falck B (University Hospital, Turku, Finland). Does dialysis therapy improve autonomic and peripheral nervous system abnormalities in chronic uraemia? J Intern Med 2000; 248: 21–26. Objectives. Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction and peripheral neuropathy occur in patients with chronic renal insufficiency. Adequate renal replacement therapy should prevent development or correct these abnormalities. Design and subjects. We studied retrospectively ANS and peripheral neuropathy in 32 patients with chronic uraemia who received either haemodialysis (16) or peritoneal dialysis (16) therapy, and compared the observed dialysis efficiency with changes in neurological function. Methods. Heart rate variability (HRV) time domain indices and peripheral sensory nerve conduction studies were followed for a mean of 2.9 years. The adequacy of haemodialysis (HD) efficiency was estimated by Kt/V, an index of fractional urea clearance. Adequacy of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) was estimated on the basis of the patient’s wellbeing and nutritional status as excellent, satisfactory or poor. Based on observed changes in HRV time domain measures, the observations were divided in three subgroups: improved, unchanged or deteriorated. Results. The peripheral sensory nerve conduction studies were abnormal in 38% of the patients and did not change significantly during the study. Improvement in HRV time domain measures occurred in HD patients with mean Kt/V > 1.20 or in CAPD patients with satisfactory or excellent response to dialysis treatment. Values of Kt/V