Sleep cardiac dysautonomia and EEG oscillations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease due to loss of motor neurons. However, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) can also be involved. The aim of this research was to assess the sleep macro- and microstructure, the cardiac ANS during sleep, and the relationships between sleep, autonomic features, and clinical parameters in a cohort of ALS patients.

Forty-two consecutive ALS patients underwent clinical evaluation and full-night video-polysomnography. Only 31 patients met inclusion criteria (absence of comorbidities, intake of cardioactive drugs, or recording artifacts) and were selected for assessment of sleep parameters, including cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) and heart rate variability (HRV). Subjective sleep quality and daytime vigilance were also assessed using specific questionnaires.

Although sleep was subjectively perceived as satisfactory, compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls, ALS patients showed significant sleep alteration: decreased total sleep time and sleep efficiency, increased nocturnal awakenings, inverted stage 1 (N1)/stage 3 (N3) ratio, reduced REM sleep, and decreased CAP rate, the latter supported by lower amounts of A phases with an inverted A1/A3 ratio. Moreover, a significant reduction in HRV parameters was observed during all sleep stages, indicative of impaired autonomic oscillations.

Our results indicate that sleep is significantly disrupted in ALS patients despite its subjective perception. Moreover, electroencephalogram activity and autonomic functions are less reactive, as shown by a decreased CAP rate and a reduction in HRV features, reflecting an unbalanced autonomic modulation.