[Cardiovascular parasympathetic and orthosympathetic lesions in alcoholism and their association with peripheral polyneuropathy].

Our aim was to identify the damaged baroreceptor reflex in alcoholic patients, and its association to peripheric neuropathy, and the electrophysiological data of primary axon damage and secondary myelinic damage. We measured the R-R interval and the blood pressure resting, after valsalva maneuver, six deep breathing/min and decubitus-biped, changing position, in 22 alcoholic patients and 22 healthy persons. Electromyography was performed, measuring the nerve conduction velocity and peripheral latency time of sciatic-popliteal external and internal nerves. We observed important damage of the cardiac parasympathetic and vascular sympathetic system, probably extended to the sympathetic cardiac system because the median cardiac rate of the alcoholic and the healthy person were similar. These lesions were associated with each other and with the motor neuropathy, with simultaneous development and common pathogenic mechanism. Finally, the R-R response had minimal amplitude during deep breathing without velocity alteration, suggesting an axonal alteration more evident than myelinic damage.