Cardiac autonomic modulation in subjects with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) during an upper limb virtual reality task: A prospective control trial

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease. As a result of the rapid progression and severity of the disease, people with ALS experience loss of functionality and independence. Furthermore, it has already been described presence of autonomic dysfunction. Despite the increasing use of virtual reality (VR) in the treatment of different diseases, the use of virtual reality environment as an intervention program for ALS patients is innovative. The benefits and limitations have not yet been proven. Our objective was to evaluate the autonomic function of individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis throughout the virtual reality task. The analysis of autonomic function was completed before, during, and after the virtual reality task using the upper limbs; also, all steps lasted ten minutes in a sitting position. Heart rate variability (HRV) was taken via the Polar® RS800CX cardiofrequencymeter. The following questionnaire was enforced: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Different types of HRV were revealed for the groups, indicating that the ALS group has reduced HRV, with most of the representative indices of the sympathetic nervous system. Besides, the physiological process of reducing parasympathetic activity from rest to VR activity (vagal withdrawal), with reduction in HF (ms2) and an increase in HR from rest to activity, and a further increase throughout recovery, with withdrawal of sympathetic nervous system, occurs just for the control group (CG), with no alterations between rest, activity, and recovery in individuals with ALS. We could conclude that patients with ALS have the reduction of HRV with the sympathetic predominance when equated to the healthy CG. Besides that, the ALS individuals have no capability to adapt the autonomic nervous system when likened to the CG during therapy based on VR and their recovery

Influence of chronic exposure to exercise on heart rate variability in children and adolescents affected by obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Sedentary lifestyles are increasingly common amongst children, and insufficient physical activity is a global epidemic estimated to contribute to future incapacities and potential deaths. Objective: We aimed to increase the amount of evidence concerning the effect of chronic exposure to exercise on heart rate variability in children and adolescents affected by obesity. Methods: A systematic review commenced following the PRISMA guidelines developed by Web of Science, Virtual Health Library, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Ovid, Medline Complete, and Scopus using keywords obtained from the Descriptors in Health Sciences and Medical Subject Headlines (MeSH) terms. We considered (1) Population: Pediatric individuals affected by obesity; (2) Intervention: Exercise; (3) Control: Pre-intervention and sedentary; (4) Outcomes: Clearly presented primary parameters; and (5) Studies: Clinical trials, case controls, case reports, and case series. Results: 11 articles were involved and predominantly included procedures observed during approximately 12 weeks with a distribution of three sessions per week, each session being 30–60 min of aerobic exercise; additionally, the exercise grades were typically completed at a percentage of subjects’ maximum heart rates. The meta-analyses displayed a significant effect on the domains of time (R-R interval, SDNN, rMSSD), frequency (HF ms2, HF (n.u.), LF/HF), and the non-linear index (SD1). Conclusions: Chronic exposure to exercise influences heart rate variability in children and adolescents affected by obesity by elevating the variability and parasympathetic activity and improving the sympathetic-vagal balance. Exercises should be recommended for the improvement of cardiac autonomic modulation to prevent the likelihood of further chronic diseases