Autonomic Nervous System: Clinical Testing ☆

The autonomic nervous system is involved in function of organs and integrated systems that control blood pressure and body temperature in a variety of environments. It influences emotion and is essential for survival. It achieves this through a network of centers and pathways in the brain, spinal cord, and periphery. Autonomic disorders can occur at a variety of sites. Advances enable accurate evaluation of autonomic function. In the clinical setting these determine the degree of autonomic dysfunction, the site of lesion, and the mechanisms involved. Importantly, clinical autonomic testing aids therapeutic strategies that reverse or ameliorate the clinical problems.