Autonomic dysfunction in movement disorders

Dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system is an under-recognised but important aspect of the aetiological and clinical manifestation of primary degenerative dysautonomias such as multiple system atrophy (MSA) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Although the clinical presentation of dysautonomia in these two disorders may overlap, yet pathological and in vivo imaging studies suggest considerable differences. Functional imaging studies suggest that selective cardiac sympathetic denervation may occur early in PD but not in other parkinsonian syndromes. The clinical implication of this apparently disease specific peripheral dysautonomia is unknown and would be the subject of much interest in future years. Dysautonomia in degenerative disorders also affect respiration, genitourinary function and sleep. Sleep related disorders such as rapid eye movement behaviour disorder and urinary voiding dysfunction appear to precede the development of PD related symptoms while patients with sporadic ataxia have been shown to progress to develop MSA. Dysautonomia has also been recognised in other movement disorders, examples being the combination of dystonia and complex regional pain syndrome with elevated HLA-DR13 and late onset Huntington's disease presenting with dominant parkinsonism and minimal chorea. These studies have helped progress in various diagnostic and management parameters in relation to autonomic dysfunction and movement disorders. Curr Opin Neurol 14;505-511. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.