Tools Development and Open Source Neuroscience
Author: Manuel Almagro | Email: manualmagro98@gmail.com
Manuel Almagro1°, Agustina Giorgetti1°2°, Shanesia Gasaneo1°2°, Juan Martin Randazzo3°, Gustavo Gasaneo1°2°
1° Instituto de Fisica del Sur (CONICET) – Departamento de Fisica, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahia Blanca, 8000, Argentina
2° Centro Integral de Neurociencias Aplicadas, Bahia Blanca, 8000, Argentina
3° Centro Atómico Bariloche (CONICET), 8400, Bariloche, argentina
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with a prevalence of 5-8 cases per 100,000
inhabitants and an average life expectancy of five years from diagnosis. Currently, diagnosis
is often delayed up to two years due to the absence of specific biomarkers. Recent research
suggests that it is possible to detect subclinical autonomic dysfunctions in early stages of
ALS, which could be key to early diagnosis. Heart rate variability (HRV) has also been shown
to be a valuable indicator for monitoring sympathetic and parasympathetic balance,
underlining its potential as a diagnostic tool.
The heart rate was modelled taking into account the electrical activity of the heart and the
influence of the Autonomic Nervous System, from a system of six coupled differential
equations, each pair of them representing the SA node, the AV node and the His-Purkinje
complex. Time-dependent perturbations were added to simulate the periods of cardiac
activation or relaxation that a person with this pathology can maintain. Finally, the
multifractality of the cases with and without perturbations was studied. The analysis shows
that it is possible to observe a difference between the values of some multifractality
coefficients, in agreement with the initial hypothesis.