Is obstructive sleep apnea a problem in Parkinson's disease?
Valérie Cochen De Cock1, Maher Abouda, Smaranda Leu
1Sleep Disorders Unit, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, APHP, Paris, France.
Sleep Medicine
|July 25, 2009
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnea is less common in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients than in controls. Sleep apnea is not a primary cause of sleepiness or other common symptoms in PD, especially in those with REM sleep behavior disorder.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Parkinson's disease (PD) is linked to sleep disturbances and daytime sleepiness.
- Upper airway issues in PD may increase obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk.
- The prevalence and clinical significance of sleep-disordered breathing in PD are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the frequency and clinical relevance of sleep-disordered breathing, particularly OSA, in patients with Parkinson's disease.
- To compare sleep apnea rates in PD patients versus controls.
- To determine if sleep apnea correlates with other PD symptoms like sleepiness, cognitive decline, or cardiovascular events.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 100 Parkinson's disease patients and 50 in-hospital controls.
- Data collection included sleep apnea symptoms, cardiovascular events, and treatments.
- All participants underwent video-polysomnography to assess sleep patterns; PD patients also had motor and cognitive evaluations.
Main Results:
- Sleep apnea was less frequent in PD patients (27%) compared to controls (40%).
- Sleep apnea was not significantly associated with increased sleepiness, nocturia, depression, cognitive impairment, or cardiovascular events in PD patients.
- Sleep apnea severity correlated with patient disability, and OSA occurred during REM sleep in those with REM sleep behavior disorder.
Conclusions:
- Obstructive sleep apnea does not appear to be a major clinical concern in Parkinson's disease.
- Daytime sleepiness, nocturia, and cognitive issues in PD are likely due to mechanisms other than sleep apnea.
- Chin muscle tone maintenance during REM sleep behavior disorder does not affect apneic event frequency.
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