Dynamic Prevalence of Sleep Disorders Following Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: Systematic Review and...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Sleep Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Sleep disorders are frequently observed after stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), but their exact prevalence across different recovery phases is not well-established.
• Understanding the prevalence of various sleep disturbances, including sleep-disordered breathing, insomnia, periodic leg movements, and restless leg syndrome, is critical for post-stroke care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze the prevalence of sleep disorders in patients following stroke or TIA.
• To examine how patient characteristics and study methodologies influence the reported prevalence rates of these sleep disorders.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted, searching Embase and PubMed databases.
• Included data from 169 studies encompassing 64,047 adult participants, with various study designs (prospective, retrospective, case-control, cross-sectional).

Main Results:

• High prevalence rates of sleep-disordered breathing were observed across phases: acute (66.8%), subacute (65.5%), and chronic (66.2%).
• Insomnia prevalence ranged from 35.9% to 42.6%, periodic leg movement during sleep from 27.3% to 48.2%, and restless leg syndrome from 10.4% to 13.7% across phases.
• Patient factors (age, sex, comorbidities, smoking) and study quality significantly moderated prevalence rates.

Conclusions:

• Sleep disorders are highly prevalent in individuals who have experienced a stroke or TIA, persisting over time.
• These findings underscore the necessity for prompt screening and therapeutic interventions for sleep disorders in the post-stroke population to improve outcomes.