The degeneration of small nerve fibers reduces sweat gland innervation and impairs sudomotor function.
SUDOSCAN tests sweat gland function by applying a small direct current to both hand and foot sensor plates. At a low voltage, the stratum corneum acts as a capacitor, leaving the sweat ducts as the only channel for the transmission of Cl- ions.
SUDOSCAN provides a quantitative measure of chloride conductance (measured in microsiemens) and its results serve as a biomarker to assess sweat gland function in relation to sweat gland innervation.