Hypocretin-1 Levels Associate with Fragmented Sleep in Patients with Narcolepsy Type 1
Anniina Alakuijala1,2,3, Tomi Sarkanen2,3,4, Markku Partinen2,3
1Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
Study Objectives:
We aimed to analyze nocturnal sleep characteristics of patients with narcolepsy type 1 (narcolepsy with cataplexy) measured by actigraphy in respect to cerebrospinal fluid hypocretin-1 levels of the same patients.
Methods:
Actigraphy recording of 1-2 w and hypocretin-1 concentration analysis were done to thirty-six unmedicated patients, aged 7 to 63 y, 50% female. Twenty-six of them had hypocretin-1 levels under 30 pg/mL and the rest had levels of 31-79 pg/mL.
Results:
According to actigraphy, patients with very low hypocretin levels had statistically significantly longer sleep latency (P = 0.033) and more fragmented sleep, indicated by both the number of immobile phases of 1 min (P = 0.020) and movement + fragmentation index (P = 0.049). There were no statistically significant differences in the actual sleep time or circadian rhythm parameters measured by actigraphy.
Conclusions:
Actigraphy gives additional information about the stabilization of sleep in patients with narcolepsy type 1. Very low hypocretin levels associate with more wake intruding into sleep.
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