Accuracy of SleepImage for detecting respiratory failure in ALS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Diagnostic accuracy of SleepImage technology for detecting respiratory failure in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
IRAS ID
365043
Contact name
Michael Polkey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS; also called Motor Neurone Disease) is a disease that causes progressive muscle weakness including the muscles required for respiration. Respiratory muscle weakness can lead to ventilatory failure which is the most common cause of death in ALS. The treatment for respiratory failure is Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV). However, deciding when to initiate NIV relies on a variety of diagnostic tests, of which the most important being transcutaneous carbon dioxide CO2 (TcCO2) monitoring which is typically completed overnight in a hospital setting. Due to physical limitations which form part of the disease burden, it can be difficult for patients to attend hospital, and lack of hospital resource often means that the frequency that such studies can be undertaken is limited. There have been recent advances in home diagnostic sleep studies, for example, SleepImage that uses Cardiopulmonary Coupling (CPC) measured through measures of autonomic nervous system output to detect unstable sleep. If this technique could accurately detect ventilatory impairment in ALS it could be used within a home setting. This could allow for more frequent studies and thus earlier detection of ventilatory failure and more timely initiation of NIV, as well as reducing costs associated with hospital stays and the inconvenience of attending hospital. The aim of this feasibility study is to review whether SleepImage CPC technology can be used as an indicator of ventilatory failure in ALS.
REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/PR/0064
Date of REC Opinion
17 Feb 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion