Abstract
BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of sleep problems in a community-based sample of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in Norway, and their associated factors.Methods176 consecutive PD outpatients (41% females) were included in a study of non-motor symptoms, including sleep problems. All participants responded to the Parkinson’s Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS), where an overall score below 82 or a score below 5 on a sub-item indicate possible sleep problem. Factors associated with sleep were also investigated, with special emphasis on severity of PD, fatigue, mental health and restless legs syndrome (RLS).ResultsThe mean age was 68.5 years (range 35–90); the mean Hoehn and Yahr stage was 2.11 (SD 0.86), and the mean UPDRS part III was 22.3 (SD 11.7). Sleep problems were common among PD patients. While only 17% of the sample had an overall score below 82 on the PDSS, 70% of the patients had a score below 5 on one item. There was no significant association between PD severity and any of the sleep items in the PDSS; whereas fatigue, mental health problems, and RLS were associated with PDSS score.ConclusionsThe current findings call for increased awareness of sleep problems in PD patients, especially focusing on the association with mental health problems, fatigue and RLS.
Highlights
The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of sleep problems in a community-based sample of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in Norway, and their associated factors
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, and primarily affects the elderly: while approximately 1% of people aged 65 to 69 suffer from PD, the prevalence increases to nearly 5% among people aged 80 to 84 [1]
Sleep problems are common; community studies have reported that about 60% of PD patients had a sleep disorder compared to 33% of the controls [5]
Summary
The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of sleep problems in a community-based sample of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in Norway, and their associated factors. Common sleep problems include insomnia symptoms (difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep), excessive daytime somnolence, and REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD)[6]. The Parkinson’s Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS) was developed on this background and because the generic sleep assessment scales do not systematically address and quantify the most common sleep problems in PD patients [9]. As such, this bedside tool can provide an indication for treatment of the sleep problems commonly accompanying PD
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
