The relationship between clinician observed anhidrosis, Neuropad®-detected anhidrosis and MNSI findings in a community sample of participants with diabetes.

Autonomic neuropathy in the diabetic foot is associated with decreased sweating, loss of skin temperature regulation and interruption of sympathetic nerve function. The associated sudomotor dysfunction can cause anhidrosis in the feet, leading to callus, fissures or ulceration. There is no internationally recommended or recognised standardised tool to diagnose sudomotor dysfunction in the lower limb, and it is also unclear if currently available tools validly measure anhidrosis. This study investigates associations between clinician-observed anhidrosis, Neuropad®-detected anhidrosis and Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI) findings in a sample of 50 participants with diabetes who attended a community podiatry service in the West of Ireland. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy was assessed using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument and Neuropad. The clinician-observed anhidrosis did not correlate with MNSI or Neuropad findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]