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Dynamic Digital Biomarkers of Motor and Cognitive Function in Parkinson's Disease
Published on: July 24, 2019
Daytime REM sleep in Parkinson's disease
Donald L Bliwise1, Lynn Marie Trotti, Jorge J Juncos
1Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA. dbliwis@emory.edu
Parkinsonism & Related Disorders
|September 4, 2012
Summary
Many Parkinson's disease (PD) patients experience REM sleep intrusions during the day, similar to narcolepsy. This daytime sleepiness in PD may indicate shared neurodegenerative pathways, potentially involving hypocretin deficiency.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
Background:
- Parkinson's disease (PD) and narcolepsy share clinical and neurochemical similarities.
- REM sleep intrusions are a hallmark of narcolepsy, but their significance in PD is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence and characteristics of REM sleep during daytime sleep testing in Parkinson's disease patients.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a modified Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) with extended 40-minute nap opportunities over two days.
- Assessed for REM sleep presence and sleep latency during each daytime nap opportunity in 63 PD patients.
Main Results:
- Over 30% of PD patients exhibited daytime REM sleep episodes during MWT.
- Daytime REM sleep in PD was associated with increased daytime sleepiness, independent of nocturnal sleep patterns or clinical PD severity.
- No correlation was found between REM sleep and demographic factors, motor scores, or medication dosage.
Conclusions:
- A significant portion of Parkinson's disease patients display REM sleep during daytime testing.
- Findings suggest parallels in REM sleep disturbances between PD and narcolepsy.
- These similarities may point towards common neurodegenerative mechanisms, possibly related to hypocretin deficiency.
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