Session Information
Date: Thursday, June 23, 2016
Session Title: Other
Session Time: 12:00pm-1:30pm
Location: Exhibit Hall located in Hall B, Level 2
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate alterations in cardiac autonomic control during sleep in patients affected by ALS.
Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by an almost exclusive involvement of motor neurons, although also an autonomic impairment has been described [1,2]. Autonomic nervous system can be assessed by evaluation of hearth rate variability (HRV).
Methods: 13 patients with ALS (8M/5F; age 46-79, mean 62.3 yrs) were compared to 10 healthy controls matched for age and sex. All subjects underwent a full-night polysomnographic (PSG) study. HRV was assessed by means of a continuous ECG recording during the PSG. Time-domain features (mean RR interval, SDNN, SDANN, SDNN index, rMSSD, pNN50% and pNN20%) and frequency-domain features (total PWR, LF, HF, LF/HF index) were computed. Each feature was evaluated in NREM sleep (light sleep and SWS), REM sleep and wake after sleep onset (WASO).
Results: Compared to controls, patients showed significant reduction in: total PWR during NREM (p=0.005), LF in NREM (p=0.01) and REM (p=0.003) sleep, and WASO (p=0.06) and also in HF during NREM (p=0.04) and REM (p=0.05) sleep and WASO (p=0.03).
Conclusions: Our results indicate an alteration of cardiac autonomic control in both sleep and wakefulness in ALS, with a reduction of HRV components consistent with impairment of both vagal and sympathetic systems. These findings suggest the potential importance of autonomic assessment in ALS, in conjunction with motor neuron function. References: [1] Kandinov, B., Korczyn, A. D., Rabinowitz, R., Nefussy, B., & Drory, V. E. (2011). Autonomic impairment in a transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Auton Neurosci-Basic, 159(1), 84-89. [2] Baltadzhieva, R., Gurevich, T., & Korczyn, A. D. (2005). Autonomic impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Curr Opin Neurol, 18(5), 487-493.
This work has been presented as a poster during the XXV meeting of the Italian Association of Sleep Medicine (AIMS), Pula (CA), 1-3 October 2015.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
P. Congiu, G. Milioli, G. Borghero, G. Gioi, F. Marrosu, M. Puligheddu, A.L. Goldberger, S. Mariani. Loss of heart rate variability in ALS: Time and frequency domain assessment [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2016; 31 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/loss-of-heart-rate-variability-in-als-time-and-frequency-domain-assessment/. Accessed June 14, 2025.« Back to 2016 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/loss-of-heart-rate-variability-in-als-time-and-frequency-domain-assessment/