The purpose of this study is to check sympathetic skin response(SSR) and to determine factors of influence in SSR in spinal cord injury patients, and to know relation between SSR with autonomic nervous symptom.

The major results were as follows:

1) The higher the level of injury, the higher was the rate of no response, Eleven patients(100%) with lumbar and sacral spinal cord injury showed sympathetic skin response on right palm and left sole with stimulation of right wrist. When left ankle was stimulated, only 1 patients(10%) with cervical spinal cord injury showed SSR.

2) SSR did not show any correlation with the type of spinal cord injury(complete or incomplete) or the state of bladder by cystometrogram or the results of bulbocavernosus reflex latency and pudendal somatosensory evoked potential.

3) There was no significant difference between the patients with and without autonomic nervous symptom. And among the patients with positive SSR, there was no difference in latency and amplitude.

4) The latency of SSR in palm and sole with right wrist stimulation was longest in cervical spinal cord injury patients and the amplitude of SSR in palm and sole with wrist stimulation was largest in lumbar and sacral spinal cord injury patients.

5) Compared with normal individuals, the latency and amplitude of the sympathetic skin response was longer and larger in spinal cord injury patients.