Table 1.

Cardiovascular dysautonomia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Parameter	Subjects Investigated ALSpc vs. Controls	Mean Duration of the Disease	Results	References
HRV	33 vs. 30	27 mo (11–66 mo)	Decreased	[28]
	55 vs. 30	18 mo (3 mo–12 y)	Decreased	[29]
	29 vs. 33	21 ± 13 mo (4–60 mo)	Decreased	[31]
Baroreflex sensitivity	55 vs. 30	18 mo (3 mo–12 y)	Reduced	[28]
	18 vs. 18	NA	Reduced	[30]
MSNA at rest	40 vs. 38	3–120 mo (26.2 ± 24.8 mo)	Increased	[33]
	9 vs. 9	24 mo (12–38 mo)	Increased	[35]
	16 vs. 12	133.7 ± 51.7 w	Increased	[34]
OH	55 vs. 30	18 mo (3 mo–12 y)	Absent	[29]
	16 vs. 12	133.7 ± 51.7 w	Absent	[34]
Serum NE levels	20 ALSpc	1–14 y 11.0 ± 5.5 y 19 ALSpc-PPV 2.7 ± 1.6 y 22 ALSpc-wPPV	Elevated	[38]
	41 vs. 10		Elevated	[39]
Vagus nerve (HRUS)	24 vs. 19	2–48 mo (12.46 ± 10.28 mo)	Atrophy	[49]
	21 vs. 28	NA	Atrophy	[50]
	37 vs. 40	22.5 ± 23.0 mo	Similar	[51]
Cardiac sympathetic function (scintigraphy)	63 vs. 10	11 mo (3–72 mo)	Increased sympathetic activity	[46]
Cardiac structure and function (CMR)	35 vs. 34	NA	Decreased VV, VM, and EV	[45]

ALSpc: patients with ALS, HRV: heart rate variability; MSNA: muscle sympathetic nerve activity; OH: orthostatic hypotension; NE: norepinephrine; PPV: positive pressure ventilation; wPPV: without positive pressure ventilation; HRUS: high-resolution ultrasound; CMR: cardiac magnetic resonance; VV: ventricular volume; VM: ventricular mass; EV: ejection volume; mo: months; y: years; w: weeks; NA: not available.