Autonomic function tests for analysis of pathophysiology and prognosis of autonomic neuropathy]

It is recommended to assess each autonomic system with system-specific function tests. Pupillary and cardiocirculatory systems have a benefit to perform the tests quantitatively, but most of the other systems are measured qualitatively. The aim of the tests exist in detecting the focus and the severity of a disease. Some tests are favored to be used repeatedly for judging the recovery. Head-up tilt and Valsalva tests are not adequate to observe the short-term improvement, but serum noradrenalin level has a good correlation to the rapid recovery. Autonomic symptoms may occur due to the dysfunction not by the efferent sympathetic pathway but by the afferent in rare cases. Sympathetic overactive conditions can be observed in those situations.