Testing a sleep monitor to detect breathing problems in ALS

Researchers are testing a device called SleepImage that monitors your heart and breathing patterns while you sleep to see if it can reliably detect respiratory failure in ALS patients. The device measures how your heart rate and breathing synchronize during different stages of sleep. This technology has already been approved by the FDA and could help doctors catch breathing problems earlier in ALS, when they may still be treatable.

People with ALS often develop serious breathing problems that can be hard to detect early using standard oxygen monitors. This study exists to see whether the SleepImage device can catch these breathing problems sooner and more accurately, potentially allowing doctors to start life-supporting treatments before a crisis occurs.