Polysomnographic findings of multiple system atrophy: evidence from case-control studies

This study examines the polysomnographic differences between patients with multiple system atrophy and healthy controls.

An electronic literature search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, All EBM databases and the Web of Science database from inception to August 2024.

Meta-analysis found significant reductions in percent rapid eye movement sleep, sleep efficiency, and total sleep time, and increases in the apnea-hypopnea index, percent non-REM sleep stage 1, periodic limb movement index and sleep latency in patients with multiple system atrophy compared with healthy controls.

Our meta-analysis found polysomnographic abnormalities in patients with multiple system atrophy compared with controls. Future studies should include methodological considerations (ie, rapid eye movement sleep without atonia criteria) to evaluate the contributions of potential heterogeneous factors (ie, disease duration, presence of stridor, comorbidity of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder) to polysomnographic changes in multiple system atrophy.

Wang M, Zhang Y, Ren R, et al. Polysomnographic findings of multiple system atrophy: evidence from case-control studies. J Clin Sleep Med. 2025;21(10):1723-1732.