title: Cardiac autonomic dysfunction in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis during a stable phase.
abstract: The autonomic cardiovascular system was studied by means of autonomic tests and heart rate variability related to body movements during sleep, in 20 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in a stable phase and in 9 normal subjects. Responses to autonomic tests in multiple sclerosis and control subjects were similar. Heart rate variability, instead, showed a lower degree of adaptability in patients with multiple sclerosis than in controls during sleep, because of sympathetic system dysfunction. No significant correlation between magnetic resonance lesions and cardiovascular sleep indexes was found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giubilei
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Urani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frontoni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiorini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Millefiorini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiorelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Strano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology