EC Neurology

Background: Parkinson’s disease affects 1 - 2% of the population over 60 years of age. 80% of patients with PD experience sleep disturbances which are generally overlooked or underreported.

Methods: Case-control study conducted in tertiary care teaching hospital in Northern-east Rajasthan over 6 months (February 2023 to August 2023). A total of 50 patients were included in the study by convenient random sampling along with an age and sex-matched control population of 50. Sleep health assessment was done using RU-SATED questionnaire using the interview method. The data was compiled in MS Excel sheet and SPSS 20 was used.

Results: Out of a total of 50 patients, there were 41 males and 9 females. Mean age of the study population was 61.67 years. The mean age of onset of the disease was 58.34 years and mean duration of the disease was 2.51 years. Sleep regularity was disturbed maximum in patients with PSP (66.66%) followed by MSA (30%), IPD (14.81%) and least in patients with secondary parkinsonism (14.28%). Patients with IPD were found to be more satisfied with their sleep (29.62%) and it was least in PSP (16.66%). 37.03% patients with IPD, 70% of patients with MSA whereas 66.66% with PSP had frequent awakening or difficulty in falling asleep after awakening in between 2 A.M. and 4 A.M. 18.51% patients with IPD, 60% with MSA and 83.33% with PSP found difficulty in falling asleep within 30 mins after going to bed. 62.96% patients with IPD had sleep of 7 to 9 hours per day whereas none of MSA and PSP groups had such a duration of sleep suggestive decreased duration and fragmentation of sleep.

Conclusion: Sleep is an important non motor symptom which is generally under-reported and it should be addressed adequately while treating patients with parkinsonian spectrum disorders.

 Keywords: Sleep Disorders; Idiopathic Parkinson Disease; Multisystem Atrophy; Progressive Supranuclear Palsy; RU-SATED Questionnaire

1. Lauretani F., et al. “Clinical evaluation of sleep disorders in Parkinson’s disease”. Brain Sciences4 (2023): 609.
2. Zuzuárregui JRP and During EH. “Sleep issues in Parkinson’s disease and their management”. Neurotherapeutics 4 (2020): 1480-1494.
3. Dhawan V., et al. “Sleep-related problems of Parkinson’s disease”. Age Ageing3 (2006): 220-228.
4. Hurt CS., et al. “Barriers to reporting non-motor symptoms to health-care providers in people with Parkinson’s”. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders 64 (2019): 220-225.
5. Tandberg E., et al. “Community-based study of sleep disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease”. Movement Disorders6 (1998): 895-899.
6. Stavitsky K and Cronin-Golomb A. “Sleep quality in Parkinson disease: An examination of clinical variables”. Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology2 (2011): 43-49.
7. Lin JY., et al. “Sleep-related symptoms in multiple system atrophy: determinants and impact on disease severity”. Chinese Medical Journal (England)6 (2020): 690-698.
8. Alster P., et al. “Sleep disturbances in progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome (PSPS) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS)”. Neurologia i Neurochirurgia Polska3 (2023): 229-234.