Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in MS patients - Study

[Perkele]

This is Finnish study that investigates the cardiovascular and sudomotor autonomic control in clinically definite MS patients.

The conclusion of the study is that the findings of the present study indicate that both MS and optic neuritis injure the autonomic nervous system.

The main conclusions are:
1. MS results in both reduced HR variation and decreased BP reactions,
indicating disturbed cardiovascular regulation. In particular, the midbrain
lesions, but also to a lesser extent the hemispherical lesions, are associated with cardiovascular dysfunction.

2. MS is associated with sudomotor regulation failure. The lack of SSRs indicates severe MS. Though MS is a global disorder of white matter, even focal MS lesions evoke SSR abnormalities.

3. MS patients display impairment in their thermoregulatory sweating, and the abnormalities in their sweating correlate with the severity of the disease.

4. ON is a frequent initial manifestation of MS. ON patients show clinically
silent disturbances in their sudomotor autonomic pathways. Sudomotor
autonomic dysfunction virtually encompasses all the disease stages of MS.

Read the whole study: http://herkules.oulu.fi/isbn97895142623 ... 262395.pdf

So could the CCSVI be the cause of the cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction? Or is it the opposite? Or perhaps collagen deficit that affects the veins? Or some other reason/s?