Objective: Explore gender-based disparities in daytime sleepiness among Hispanic individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Background: PD is a neurodegenerative disorder with various motor and non-motor symptoms, including sleep disturbances. Sleepiness, a common non-motor symptom, significantly impacts the quality of life of PD patients. Understanding potential gender differences in sleepiness scores is crucial for tailored interventions.

Method: A cross-sectional study was undertaken, encompassing 66 Hispanic adults diagnosed with PD, all of whom provided informed consent. The evaluation of participants’ daytime sleepiness levels was performed using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Subsequently, a T-student test, incorporating the assumption of unequal variances, was employed to compare the mean ESS scores observed between the two gender groups within the study population.

Results: Participants, comprising 62% males (41) and 38% females (25), exhibited mean ages of 69±8 and 65±9, respectively. The T-student test revealed a significant difference in ESS scores between male (mean=12.34, variance=23.48) and female (mean=8.4, variance=26.92) patients (T=-3.07, p=0.0035). The results exhibit that, on average, male patients experience higher subjective sleepiness than their female counterparts.

Conclusion: Our findings uncovered a statistically significant gender difference in subjective daytime sleepiness among PD patients, with male patients reporting higher ESS scores than female patients. This insight into sleep-related aspects of PD may contribute to personalized care strategies, emphasizing the need for gender-specific approaches to managing sleep disturbances within the Parkinson’s population. Further research is warranted to uncover factors influencing these differences and to create targeted interventions to enhance the quality of life for PD patients.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/gender-disparities-in-daytime-sleepiness-among-hispanic-individuals-with-parkinsons-disease-a-cross-sectional-study/