Sympathetic skin response (SS) is a change of the potential recorded from the skin surface and it results from the activation of the peripheral as well as central parts of polysynaptic reflex circuits. SSR was studied in 53 patients with definitely established diagnosis of multiple sclerosis with relapsing-remitting (SM-RR), primary progressive (SM-PP) and secondary progressive (SM-SP) course of the disease. The evaluation of the response was a qualitative one and the response absence in at least one of the extremities examined was considered abnormal. SSR abnormality was observed in 37.7% of cases. In the group of SM-RR (n=43) SSR abnormality was observed in 32.6% of patients; in the group of SM-PP and SM-SP the abnormality was present in as much as 60% of patients. The SSR abnormality counts in relapsing stage (42.9%) and remission stage (32.6%) of the SM-RR were also different. No association of SSR abnormality with the duration of the disease, EDSS or clinical signs of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and sudomotor systems, with the exception of urogenital system, was observed (p<0.2). The examination of the skin sympathetic response is a technically simple and not time-consuming electrophysiological method that enables to objectivize a disturbance of sudomotor function even at the central level of the polysynaptic reflex circuits. The disturbed thermoregulation in patients with multiple sclerosis has impact on the extent of difficulties of other disease symptoms and their fluctuation over time. If we take into account the fact that the abnormality of sympathetic skin reflex may reflect a disturbance of thermoregulation, studying it in patients with multiple sclerosis may be considered as clinically beneficial, supplementary and simple electrophysiological examination.

        Key words: sympathetic skin response, multiple sclerosis, autonomic dysfunction, sudomotor function, thermoregulation