Studies on the Raynaud's Phenomenon of Occupational Origin : II. The Function of the Autonomic Nervous System and the Cold Pressor Test

This investigation was performed to solve the following three problems. First, whether the unbalance of the autonomic nervous system due to the whole body effect is recognized in the occupational Raynaud's patient or not; secondly, whether the test of autonomic nervous function can screen such patients or not; and thirdly, whether the Raynaud's phenomenon appears only in the user of vibrating tools showing the unbalance of the autonomic nervous system or not. The function of the autonomic nervous system was assessed by a modified Wenger's method, namely by measuring sublingual temperature, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, pulse pressure, pulse rate and arhythmia respiratoria; and the cold pressor test was used to measure the reactivity of the vasomotor mechanism. Both of these were performed twice, i.e. in summer and in winter. Subjects were chain-saw workers with Raynaud's phenomenon, chain-saw workers without Raynaud's phenomenon, bush-cleaning workers without Raynaud's phenomenon, and controls. Obtained results were as follows: The data of the function of the autonomic nervous system and cold pressor reaction did not reveal any significant difference between the Raynaud's patients and other groups. Therefore, it is difficult to screen the Raynaud's patients at the time of absence of white attack by the tests of the autonomic nervous function. As the significant difference was not seen between chain-saw workers with Raynaud's phenomenon and those without it, unbalance of the autonomic nervous function does not seem to be a main factor on the side of the host with regard to the appearance of the Raynaud's phenomenon.