Sleep-related Movement Disorders Research Articles

Computational Biomechanics of Sleep: A Systematic Mapping Review.

Biomechanical studies play an important role in understanding the pathophysiology of sleep disorders and providing insights to maintain sleep health. Computational methods facilitate a versatile platform to analyze various biomechanical factors in silico, which would otherwise be difficult through in vivo experiments. The objective of this review is to examine and map the applications of computational biomechanics to sleep-related research topics, including sleep medicine and sleep ergonomics. A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Research gaps were identified through data synthesis on variants, outcomes, and highlighted features, as well as evidence maps on basic modeling considerations and modeling components of the eligible studies. Twenty-seven studies (n = 27) were categorized into sleep ergonomics (n = 2 on pillow; n = 3 on mattress), sleep-related breathing disorders (n = 19 on obstructive sleep apnea), and sleep-related movement disorders (n = 3 on sleep bruxism). The effects of pillow height and mattress stiffness on spinal curvature were explored. Stress on the temporomandibular joint, and therefore its disorder, was the primary focus of investigations on sleep bruxism. Using finite element morphometry and fluid-structure interaction, studies on obstructive sleep apnea investigated the effects of anatomical variations, muscle activation of the tongue and soft palate, and gravitational direction on the collapse and blockade of the upper airway, in addition to the airflow pressure distribution. Model validation has been one of the greatest hurdles, while single-subject design and surrogate techniques have led to concerns about external validity. Future research might endeavor to reconstruct patient-specific models with patient-specific loading profiles in a larger cohort. Studies on sleep ergonomics research may pave the way for determining ideal spine curvature, in addition to simulating side-lying sleep postures. Sleep bruxism studies may analyze the accumulated dental damage and wear. Research on OSA treatments using computational approaches warrants further investigation.

Restless Sleep Disorder and the Role of Iron in Other Sleep-Related Movement Disorders and ADHD

In the last few years, restless sleep has been described as the key element of many clinical issues in childhood, leading to the recognition of “restless sleep disorder” (RSD) as a new proposed diagnostic category. The essential aid of video-polysomnographic recordings enables detection and quantification of the “large muscle group movements” (such as limb movements and repositioning) frequently described by parents of children with RSD. Strong evidence links iron deficiency to the pathophysiology of sleep-related movement disorders such as RSD, restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) due to the important role played by the brain dopamine production system. Serum ferritin is the main parameter used to evaluate iron deficiency in patients with sleep-related movement disorders. Iron supplementation is recommended when the serum ferritin level is <50 ng/mL, since the literature emphasizes the correlation between lower levels of serum ferritin, serum iron, and cerebrospinal fluid ferritin, and increased symptom severity. Moreover, several studies report an improvement in symptoms when ferritin levels are kept above 50 ng/mL. In this narrative review, we discuss the role of iron in sleep-related movement disorders, as well as ADHD, highlighting not only the connection between these two conditions, but also the relevance of iron supplementation for symptom improvement.

Prevalence of sleep disturbances in people with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review protocol.

This review will determine the prevalence of sleep disturbances in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Mild cognitive impairment is regarded as a transitional state between normal functioning and dementia, and has a high likelihood of conversion to dementia. Individuals with mild cognitive impairment may suffer more severe sleep disturbances compared with normal older people. In some studies, sleep disturbances were associated with significantly higher odds of mild cognitive impairment. There is a need for prevalence estimates of sleep disturbances in people with mild cognitive impairment based on the currently available literature to guide clinical health care professionals and public health policies. The review will consider studies reporting on the prevalence of sleep disturbances in individuals with mild cognitive impairment, using validated instruments, including subjective and/or objective measures. Studies will be excluded if the participants report sleep-related breathing or movement disorders. Studies using only the Mini-Mental State Examination to diagnose mild cognitive impairment will also be excluded. The review will follow the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of prevalence and incidence. The MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Cochrane Library (CDSR and CENTRAL), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), PsycINFO (EBSCOhost), Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection databases will be systematically searched from inception to the present with no language limitations. Analytical observational studies, including prospective and retrospective cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies, will be considered. Two reviewers will independently conduct the study selection, critical appraisal, and data extraction. Methodological quality will be evaluated using the JBI critical appraisal checklist for studies reporting prevalence data. A meta-analysis will be conducted to synthesize the prevalence data, where possible. PROSPERO (CRD42022366108).

0780 Iron Sucrose Infusions for Pediatric Sleep Related Movement Disorders

Abstract Introduction Sleep related movement disorders (SRMD) such as restless leg syndrome (RLS), periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), and restless sleep disorder (RSD) are common diagnoses among children referred to pediatric sleep clinics, particularly among children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD. These disorders have been associated with low iron status, and evidence demonstrates clinical response to iron supplementation. Oral iron supplementation is often used as a first step in management, although some children do not manifest an adequate response in serum ferritin levels, or do not tolerate oral iron due to side effects or taste. For these children, iron infusions may be an attractive therapeutic strategy. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of children referred for iron infusion between January 2021 to November 2022 at Kaiser Permanente Northern California Pediatric Sleep Clinics. Children carried a diagnosis of RLS, PLMD, or RSD. Iron sucrose was used, with a target dose of 6-7mg/kg, with a maximum dose of 200mg per infusion. We reviewed the number of infusions, pre- and post-infusion ferritin levels, and clinical response based on clinic notes and/or secure message communication after infusion. Results A total of 11 children were identified who received at least one iron infusion. Mean age at time of first infusion was 7.2 (4.5) years, 63.6% were male, and 45.5% were diagnosed with ASD. The most common diagnosis was PLMD (54.5%), followed by RLS (27.3%), and RSD (18.2%). Mean infusion dose of iron sucrose was 130.5mg (41.6) and children received an average of 2.0 (1.1) infusions. Mean ferritin prior to infusion was 30.1 (20.1) and 62.6ng/mL (41.1) post infusion. Based on chart review, 63.6% of families reported symptomatic improvement following iron infusions. No children were reported to have worsening of sleep or significant side effects following iron sucrose infusion. Conclusion Iron infusions are an effective strategy for management of sleep related movement disorders who are recalcitrant to oral iron. This can be an especially attractive therapeutic option in children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD. Further research exploring optimal dosing and formulation of iron is warranted. Support (if any)

1001 A Case of Unusual Nocturnal Movements Consistent with Paroxysmal Hypnogenic Dyskinesia

Abstract Introduction Paroxysmal hypnogenic dyskinesia (PHD) is a rare subset of paroxysmal dyskinesias characterized by recurring involuntary dystonic or choreoathetoid movements that occur during sleep or immediately after an arousal from sleep. These episodes often occur without loss of consciousness or trigger and lack association with epileptiform electroencephalography (EEG) activity. Report of case(s) A 61-year-old male with obstructive sleep apnea compliant with PAP was referred for abnormal nighttime movements for the past 9 years. The episodes were characterized by stereotyped involuntary dystonic posturing involving his upper extremities or his entire body lasting up to 15 seconds. The onset of the events occurred invariable during nighttime sleep and resulted in awakenings from sleep. He denied dream enactment as well as other symptoms suggestive of sleep-related movement disorders or parasomnias. Sleep deprived EEG demonstrated left temporal slowing during wakefulness and drowsiness and captured a typical event that occurred during NREM stage II sleep and had no ictal correlate. An MRI of the brain was unremarkable. During overnight polysomnogram, his current PAP settings were found to be effective, and three episodes of body stiffening consistent with his typical events were captured. These episodes were found to occur after awakening from REM sleep and lasted less than 10 seconds each. There was no EEG correlate, and REM atonia was preserved throughout. The patient was started on oxcarbazepine for the nocturnal movements, which reduced the frequency of events from 12 to 4 events per night. Oxcarbazepine was tapered and discontinued due to side effects and incomplete control of the events. Genetic testing for epilepsy syndromes is pending. Conclusion PHD is a rare syndrome of involuntary movements which begin during sleep or cause awakenings from sleep and can be misdiagnosed as a sleep disorder. It is crucial for the sleep physician to be aware of possible neurological causes of sleep-related movement disorders. Furthermore, our patient’s partial response to oxcarbazepine may further support that PHD may have an epileptic origin although not well characterized. Support (if any) Advancing Innovation in Residency Education (AIRE) Pilot Program Training Grant

Sleep-related rhythmic movement disorder in children: a mini-review.

Sleep-related rhythmic movement disorder (SRRMD) occurs in both infants and children. This disorder rarely occurs or persists in adolescence or adulthood. Rhythmic movement during sleep in children is often asymptomatic and considered a benign condition. It is classified as SRRMD when movement significantly disrupts sleep, results in daytime functional impairment, or causes self-inflicted body injury. Several studies have demonstrated that SRRMD occurs in all sleep stages. Few studies have investigated rhythmic movement disorder (RMD) in children. SRRMD is a clinical diagnosis supported by home video recordings. When the clinical history is insufficient to provide a definitive diagnosis of SRRMD, and other sleep-related conditions or seizure disorders are suspected, video-polysomnography is indicated. There are currently no clinical guidelines for treating SRRMD.

Sleep disorders in veterans with serious mental illnesses: prevalence in Veterans Affairs health record data.

This study aimed to estimate the 12-month prevalence of diagnosed sleep disorders among veterans with and without serious mental illnesses (SMI) in Veterans Affairs health record data in 2019. We also examined diagnosed sleep disorders across a 9-year period and explored associations with demographic and health factors. This study used health record data from VISN 4 of the Veterans Health Administration from 2011 to 2019. SMI diagnoses included schizophrenia and bipolar spectrum diagnoses as well as major depression with psychosis. Sleep diagnoses included insomnias, hypersomnias, sleep-related breathing disorders, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, and sleep-related movement disorders. Demographic and health-related factors were also collected from the record. In 2019, 21.8% of veterans with SMI were diagnosed with a sleep disorder. This is a significantly higher proportion than for veterans without SMI, 15.1% of whom were diagnosed with a sleep disorder. Sleep disorder rates were highest in veterans with a chart diagnosis of major depression with psychosis. From 2011 to 2019, the overall prevalence of sleep disorders in veterans with SMI more than doubled (10.2%-21.8%), suggesting improvements in the detection and diagnosis of sleep concerns for this group. Our findings suggest that identification and diagnosis of sleep disorders for veterans with SMI has improved over the past decade, though diagnoses still likely underrepresent actual prevalence of clinically relevant sleep concerns. Sleep concerns may be at particularly high risk of going untreated in veterans with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Bonfils KA, Longenecker JM, Soreca I, etal. Sleep disorders in veterans with serious mental illnesses: prevalence in Veterans Affairs health record data. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(9):1651-1660.

A prospective case-control study of excessive fragmentary myoclonus in the upper and lower extremities: Clinical characteristics and electrophysiological correlates

BackgroundExcessive fragmentary myoclonus (EFM) is an incidental finding in video-polysomnography (VPSG) and listed among “Sleep Related Movement Disorders – Isolated symptoms and normal variants” in the ICSD-3. We aimed to prospectively evaluate EFM in the upper and lower extremities in a large sleep laboratory cohort and to investigate clinical characteristics and peripheral nerve pathology in patients with and without EFM. MethodsTwo-hundred consecutive sleep laboratory patients with EFM according to ICSD-3 criteria were included and matched to 100 patients without EFM for age, sex and presence or absence of sleep-related breathing disorder. Patients additionally underwent peripheral neurophysiological work-up. ResultsIn 31/200 (15.5%) patients EFM was present not only in the lower extremities, but also in the upper extremities. Patients with EFM had less REM sleep (%/SPT; median (IQR); 13.8 (9.1–18.2) vs. 17.1 (10.1–20.5); p = 0.008) and the PLMS-Index was higher in patients with EFM than in those without (16.2 vs. 8.8/h; p = 0.009). Polyneuropathy (PNP) and nerve root lesions L5 and S1 were more frequent in patients with than in those without EFM (31.5% vs. 21% and 5% vs. 0%; p = 0.003). ConclusionsIn this large cohort we systematically investigated upper and lower extremities with surface electromyography during sleep and show that EFM is much more frequent in the lower extremities than in the upper extremities and corroborate the association of EFM with peripheral nerve pathology and PLMS.

Sleep Disturbances in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Overview for Clinicians

Background: Sleep disorders in autism spectrum disorders (ASD/SD) are distinct, broad, and highly variable clinical entities that ubiquitously affect core symptomatology, development of comorbid disorders, and overall quality of life for affected children and families. High genetic predisposition and the presence of co-occurring disorders present significant challenges in assessment and appropriate interventions. Objective: The study aimed to review the best available evidence and address the clinical gaps in the knowledge about sleep disorders in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Methods: The review provides a comprehensive literature search of 1622 articles and summarizes 110 selected for empirical evidence to methodically consider critical aspects of sleep disorders in ASD for informing clinicians of useful information. Results: Clinicians have insufficient guidance and support to effectively manage sleep disruptions in ASD youth in practice. Prevalence of sleep disruption in ASD, close to 80%, is characterized by unique subtypes, including but not limited to obstructive sleep apnea, circadian rhythm disorders, and sleep-related movement disorders. Greater awareness of sleep disruption, its neurodevelopmental basis, scope, and impact allows for improved treatment and prevention efforts of these conditions, and is critical for clinical practice and future research. The bidirectional nature of disruptive sleep and ASD is considered a major area requiring further clarification. Conclusion: Clinician-friendly screening tools are needed for everyday office practice to identify ASD/SD conditions and interventions, and mitigate harmful effects. Psychoeducational and cognitive-behavioral approaches for improving and supporting healthy sleep hygiene, considered the first line of treatment, are detailed. The weak database for the use of psychopharmacologic agents is summarized, and the strength of prescribing prolonged-release melatonin for optimal results is described. The promise of other medications is discussed.

Advances in the study of corticoid and melatonin in circadian rhythm disorders of oncology patients

It has been increasingly common to be diagnosed with cancer in recent years. In addition to cancer itself, which torments the patient and impairs body functions, oncology patients may develop many complications, and sleep disorders are one of them. Sleep disorders that are found in tumor survivors including sleep related breathing disorders, sleep related movement disorders, parasomnias, central disorders of hypersomnolence, insomnia and circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders (CRSWDs). It has been proved that tumors are the cause of sleep disorders, but the mechanism underlying them remains unknown. Therefore, the study of the mechanism of sleep disorders in oncology patients has become very popular among researchers today. A wide range of systemic tumors, including brain tumor, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, renal tumor and so on have a mutation of RAS or MYC, which may cause circadian rhythm disorders through some changes on Clock genes in the body. This review will focus on whether different tumors follow the same mechanism causing circadian rhythm disorders. Whether Melatonin and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are efficient in treating post-cancer sleep disorders in clinical trials will also be introduced.

Radiologic imaging of sleep disorders in patients with acute ischemic stroke

Sleep is an important and complex physiological process that is necessary for the normal functioning of any organism. Sleep disorders diagnostics is an issue of interest in patients with acute ischemic stroke management. Currently these disorders are considered not only as a consequence of earlier stroke but as an acute cerebrovascular disease risk factor itself. Sleep disorders in patients with acute cerebrovascular disease can be presented in different types, including: insomnia, sleep apnea, central disorders of hypersomnolence, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, parasomnias, sleep related movement disorders, unspecified sleep related disorders.There are very few publications on the subject of sleep disorders associated with acute ischemic stroke, despite the fact that imaging of each of these conditions separately occupies a significant place in radiology.Polysomnography is considered to be the gold standard in sleep disorders diagnostics. Contrary to that, the precise imaging of acute cerebrovascular accidents requires high-technology modalities, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).The article represents a current literature review regarding radiologic methods in diagnostics of sleep disorders in patients with acute ischemic stroke anamnesis.

Fall Risk, Sleep Behavior, and Sleep-Related Movement Disorders in Young Urbanites Exposed to Air Pollution.

Quadruple aberrant hyperphosphorylated tau, amyloid-β, α-synuclein, and TDP-43 pathology had been documented in 202/203 forensic autopsies in Metropolitan Mexico City ≤40-year-olds with high exposures to ultrafine particulate matter and engineered nanoparticles. Cognition deficits, gait, equilibrium abnormalities, and MRI frontal, temporal, caudate, and cerebellar atrophy are documented in young adults. This study aimed to identify an association between falls, probable Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder (pRBD), restless leg syndrome (RLS), and insomnia in 2,466 Mexican, college-educated volunteers (32.5±12.4 years). The anonymous, online study applied the pRBD and RLS Single-Questions and self-reported night-time sleep duration, excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and falls. Fall risk was strongly associated with pRBD and RLS. Subjects who fell at least once in the last year have an OR = 1.8137 [1.5352, 2.1426] of answering yes to pRBD and/or RLS questions, documented in 29% and 24% of volunteers, respectively. Subjects fell mostly outdoors (12:01 pm to 6:00 pm), 43% complained of early wake up hours, and 35% complained of sleep onset insomnia (EOI). EOI individuals have an OR of 2.5971 [2.1408, 3.1506] of answering yes to the RLS question. There is a robust association between falls, pRBD, and RLS, strongly suggesting misfolded proteinopathies involving critical brainstem arousal and motor hubs might play a crucial role. Nanoparticles are likely a significant risk for falls, sleep disorders, insomnia, and neurodegenerative lethal diseases, thus characterizing air particulate pollutants' chemical composition, emission sources, and cumulative exposure concentrations are strongly recommended.

Sleep disturbance in post COVID-19 conditions: Prevalence and quality of life.

Post COVID-19 conditions are complaints and symptoms in patients with a history of probable or confirmed COVID-19 after 3 months of the onset of COVID-19 and last at least 2 months. About 10-20% of people may experience post COVID-19 conditions, one of which is sleep disturbance. There is a wide range of prevalence of sleep disturbances from 6% to more than 70%. An online survey of the post COVID-19 conditions in various countries showed that 78.58% of subjects had sleep disturbances, including insomnia, sleep-disordered breathing, central disorders of hypersomnolence, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, parasomnias, and sleep-related movement disorders. Sleep disturbance can be found starting from 2 weeks until 48 weeks or more after discharge or after having a negative COVID-19 test results. Women aged < 50 years old with severe COVID-19 infection reported a worse outcome. Several mechanisms may cause sleep disturbance in post COVID-19 condition, namely persistent viral infection and inflammation, immunity dysregulation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Several studies discovered sleep disturbance was a major problem that affected different domains of QoL in post COVID-19 conditions. Significant correlation was found between several dimensions of SF-36 with moderate-to-severe insomnia in post COVID-19 conditions. Therefore, sleep disturbance is a major problem in post COVID-19 conditions and may affect patients' QoL, and the existence of sleep disturbance should be a concern in post COVID-19 conditions period. Further research is required to determine the prevalence based on agreed definition as well as methods to assess this condition and its impact on QoL.

Behavioural sleep problems in children.

Behavioural sleep problems are very common in children and are concerns for many parents. This review discusses normal sleep physiology and sleep development and focuses on common behavioural sleep problems in childhood, including behavioural insomnia of childhood, parasomnias and sleep-related movement disorders, highlighting their clinical features and management. Behavioural insomnia of childhood is characterised by learned difficulties in falling asleep and/or staying asleep. Management includes establishing bedtime routines and behavioural techniques. Parasomnias include confusional arousals, sleepwalking, sleep terrors and nightmares, and these usually resolve with time. Management includes parental reassurance and behavioural interventions such as scheduled awakening. With regards to sleep enuresis, management includes behavioural modifications, enuresis alarm and desmopressin. Sleep-related movement disorders include sleep-related bruxism and sleep-related rhythmic movements, of which body rocking is the most common. Early identification and management of behavioural sleep problems may prevent their negative impact on children as well as their families.

Sleep disturbances and associated factors amongst stroke survivors in North Central, Nigeria.

Sleep disturbance is common in persons with stroke and when unrecognised and untreated may hinder rehabilitation efforts and lead to poor functional outcome. It may also result in increased risk for stroke recurrence. We investigated the frequency and associated factors of sleep disturbances amongst stroke survivors. One hundred and ten stroke survivors attending the neurology outpatient clinics of two tertiary hospitals, from February 2021 to January 2022, were interviewed after obtaining ethical approval and informed consent. We used a structured questionnaire to obtain their socio-demographic, clinical characteristics and sleep disturbances. Excessive daytime sleepiness was assessed using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Data were analysed with statistical significance set at P < 0.05. Eighty (72.7%) patients were males with a mean age of 61.4 ± 11.8, slightly older than the females (30, 27.3%) with a mean age of 60.9 ± 2.9. Their median follow-up duration was 7.5 months. Majority (84, 76.4%) had ischaemic stroke, and the frequency of sleep disturbances was 37 (33.6%) consisting of insomnia (19, 17.3%), hypersomnia (10, 9.0%), sleep-disordered breathing (5, 4.5%) and sleep-related movement disorder (3, 2.7%), respectively. Using the ESS score, 22 (20.0%) had mild, 10 (9.0%) had moderate and 7 (6.4%) had severe ESS scores, respectively. Univariate analysis showed depression to be significantly associated with ESS (P = 0.006) whereas multivariate analysis revealed age and sex as significant associated factors (P = 0.008 and P = 0.009) of ESS. More than one-third of participants reported sleep disturbances with depression, age and gender as associated factors.

Sleep-Related Head Jerk Presenting With Dream Enactment Behavior: A Case Report

Sleep-related head jerk (SRHJ) is conceived as a physiological motor phenomenon, which is mostly seen during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. It should be distinguished from movements during REM sleep, mainly REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). A 25-year-old male complained of daytime sleepiness with snoring and dream enactment behavior (DEB). Video polysomnography (PSG) excluded RBD and obstructive sleep apnea; frequent SRHJs during REM sleep with or without respiratory effort-related arousals, and SRHJs followed by one episode of DEB was observed. On PSG with continuous positive airway pressure titration, SRHJ with arousal events still remained but DEB symptom was resolved. REM without atonia unrelated to head jerks was not observed on all PSG data. Excessive SRHJs with arousal related to a sleep disturbance could indicate an SRHJ disorder, which might be a novel sleep-related movement disorder. In addition, clinicians should be careful in diagnosing young patients with RBD.

Periodic leg movements during sleep and iron status in infants with prematurity, Down syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome.

Sleep disturbances including bedtime problems and night awakenings are common during infancy. Polysomnography during the first years of life is performed mainly to rule out sleep-disordered breathing; however, sleep-related movement disorders can constitute a significant contributor to sleep disruption in this age group. Almost no studies have investigated the presence of periodic limb movements during sleep and underlying iron deficiency in infants, especially in those born preterm or with an underlying genetic syndrome. In this retrospective study we included infants 3-24 months referred for polysomnography for snoring or frequent nocturnal awakenings. All children had bloodwork (ferritin and haemoglobin) conducted within 3months of the overnight sleep study. We studied 79 infants, including 31 (39.2%) full-term without diagnosis, 10 (12.7%) born premature, 16 (20.3%) with Down syndrome, 15 (19.0%) with Prader-Willi syndrome, and the remaining seven (8.9%) had various disorders. Compared with those with Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome and full-term infants, those with prematurity showed a statistically significant elevated periodic limb movement index and lower ferritin levels than the other groups. Both ferritin (r= -0.18) and haemoglobin (r= -0.30) were negatively correlated with periodic limb movement index; however, this correlation reached statistical significance only for haemoglobin. Iron deficiency is associated with increased periodic leg movements during sleep in infants. Infants with prematurity had higher periodic limb movement index and lower ferritin levels than infants with Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome or without diagnosis.

Moving toward standardization: physician reporting of sleep studies.

Lastra AC, Ingram D, Park J, etal. Moving toward standardization: physician reporting of sleep studies. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(3):595-603.

Common Sleep Disorders Affecting Older Adults.

Sleep disorders in older adults increase with aging, likely due to increased sleep latency, decreased sleep efficiency, and total sleep time. Common sleep issues include chronic insomnia, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, sleep-related movement disorders, and sleep-disordered breathing. Diagnostic tools, such as a comprehensive sleep history and questionnaires, or a sleep log for more specific complaints, are commonly used. Polysomnography is not recommended as a routine test; however, it can be used for abnormal behaviors during sleep or if treatment fails. Sleep disorder management is based on the etiology and may include nonpharmacological and pharmacological alternative treatments. For example, nonpharmacological management for chronic insomnia and some sleep disorders may consist of cognitive behavioral therapy, sleep hygiene education, relaxation therapy, sleep restriction, light therapy, and stimulus control therapy. Because the quality of evidence for pharmacological treatment is poor, the medication choice should be based on shared decision-making between the practitioner and the patient, with limited prescription.

Management of Sleep Disturbances in Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is defined by its motor symptoms rigidity, tremor, and akinesia. However, non-motor symptoms, particularly autonomic disorders and sleep disturbances, occur frequently in PD causing equivalent or even greater discomfort than motor symptoms effectively decreasing quality of life in patients and caregivers. Most common sleep disturbances in PD are insomnia, sleep disordered breathing, excessive daytime sleepiness, REM sleep behavior disorder, and sleep-related movement disorders such as restless legs syndrome. Despite their high prevalence, therapeutic options in the in- and outpatient setting are limited, partly due to lack of scientific evidence. The importance of sleep disturbances in neurodegenerative diseases has been further emphasized by recent evidence indicating a bidirectional relationship between neurodegeneration and sleep. A more profound insight into the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms intertwining sleep and neurodegeneration might lead to unique and individually tailored disease modifying or even neuroprotective therapeutic options in the long run. Therefore, current evidence concerning the management of sleep disturbances in PD will be discussed with the aim of providing a substantiated scaffolding for clinical decisions in long-term PD therapy.