Objective: This study describes sleep disturbances and sleep-related events in Essential Tremor (ET) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients and detecting the clinical and polysomnographic differences.

Background: Sleep disturbances are part of non-motor symptoms of (PD) and (ET). However, the nature and extent of sleep issues experienced by ET patients compared to PD patients have not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, the aim is to compare the prevalence and severity of sleep disturbances.

Method: We conducted a cross-sectional comparative study on A total of 83 participants (28 controls, 25 ET patients, and 28 PD patients) matched for age and sex, who were recruited from our specialized movement disorder outpatient clinics at Ain Shams University Hospitals and controls from the same geographical locations. All subjects completed validated sleep questionnaires, including the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Only (15 controls, 10 ET patients, and 20 PD patients) underwent an overnight polysomnographic study.

Results: The median ESS scores were significantly higher in PD patients (13, IQR: 6 – 18) compared to ET (6, IQR: 4 – 8) and controls (4, IQR: 1 – 7; p < 0.001). Similarly, the Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder Screening Questionnaire (RBDSQ) results showed median RBDSQ scores were significantly elevated in PD patients (7, IQR: 5 – 10) compared to ET patients (2, IQR: 1 – 3) and controls (1.5, IQR: 0 – 2; p < 0.001). The median PSQI scores were significantly higher in PD patients (11, IQR: 8 – 13.5) compared to ET (6, IQR: 4 – 9) and controls (3, IQR: 1.5 – 5.5; p < 0.001). PSG data revealed that Sleep efficacy was notably worse in PD patients (p = 0.039). Additionally, wake after sleep onset (WASO) and periodic limb movement index (PLMI) was significantly elevated in PD patients compared to ET patients and healthy control (p < 0.001, p=0.002) respectively. Multi-comparison analysis indicated significant differences in sleep efficacy between PD and controls (p = 0.041) and between PD and ET patients for PLMI (p = 0.022).

Conclusion: Patients with PD were more likely to have a history of REM sleep behavior disorders (RBD) (p ≤ 0.001), excessive daytime sleepiness (p ≤ 0.001) and insomnia and poor sleep quality that ET patients (p ≤ 0.001).  PSG data revealed that PD patients had higher mean PLMI values (p =0.002), impaired sleep efficacy (p=0.039) and WASO (p = 0.002) than ET patients.

« Back to 2025 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/sleep-dysfunction-in-parkinsons-disease-and-essential-tremors/