Effects Of Dopaminergic Treatment Research Articles

Microstructure of the non-rapid eye movement sleep electroencephalogram in patients with newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease: effects of dopaminergic treatment.

We investigated non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep in patients with newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease (PD) who had never previously received dopaminergic medication. There were no significant differences in the conventional sleep parameters between de novo patients with PD and a healthy control group, but the length of stage 1 sleep and the number of awakenings increased significantly upon administration of dopaminergic drugs. Analyzing the quantitative electroencephalogram (EEG), we observed a significant reduction in the low-delta frequency range and a nonsignificant increase in the sigma frequency range in de novo patients with PD. The dopaminergic medication also nonsignificantly reduced the low-delta and sigma frequencies, the latter to the level of the controls. Possible mechanisms that may account for the observed differences are discussed. It is suggested that Parkinson's disease as well as the application of dopaminergic drugs exerts a desynchronizing effect on the sleep EEG that is reflected in a disruption of sleep continuity.

Reversal of sleep disturbance in Parkinson's disease by antiparkinsonian therapy: a preliminary study.

In a previous study, the sleep pattern in Parkinson's disease patients was found to be altered. The disturbance consisted of a "light fragmented sleep pattern" with increased muscle activity. Using a combined polysomnographic and electromyographic recording technique, we found that a reversal of the light fragmented sleep pattern and normalization of muscle activity during sleep occurred after clinical improvement with dopaminergic treatment. The effect of dopaminergic treatment on sleep disturbance was analyzed. There is an intimate relationship between sleep pattern and the normalization of sleep muscle activity produced by dopaminergic agents.