Individual Readiness Assurance Test (iRAT) 4 Head and Neck Practice Test

CRPS stands out for its autonomic dysfunction, with sympathetic nervous system involvement playing a central role. After an injury, abnormal sympathetic outflow and heightened sympathetic-sensory interactions can amplify pain and drive vascular and sudomotor changes. That produces the classic CRPS signs: changes in skin color and temperature, edema, and abnormal sweating, all of which reflect sympathetic overactivity. Other neuropathic pain conditions can involve the nervous system, but the degree and prominence of sympathetic dysregulation seen in CRPS—vasomotor instability and sudomotor abnormalities—make this system the most affected.