Sweating impairment in patients with multiple sclerosis

OBJECTIVES: To measure sweating in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sweating was measured by an evaporimeter after a heating stimulus in 29 MS patients and in 15 healthy control subjects. RESULTS: The MS patients sweated markedly less than the controls. After 10 min of heating the sweating was significantly lower in the forehead (P = 0.034), feet (right, P = 0.033; left, P = 0.037) and legs (right, P = 0.043; left, P = 0.029) of the MS patients than in those of the controls. After 15 min of heating the difference was statistically significant only in the feet (right, P = 0.043; left, P = 0.029). The Expanded Disability Status Scale score correlated inversely with sweating at 15 min of heating in the left hand (r = 0.42, P < 0.05), and in the left (r = 0.36, P < 0.05) and right foot (r = 0.37, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MS is associated with an impairment in thermoregulatory sweating which seems to be related to the disease severity.