Objective: We aimed to investigate the relationship of sleep quality with falls and fear of fall (FOF) in people with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD).

Background: Fall is prevalent in people with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD) and contributes to mobility restriction and reduced quality of life. Previous research on non-motor symptoms affecting fall and fear of fall (FOF) in PwPD is limited. Sleep deficits are common in PwPD and can leads to increased risk of fall and FOF.

Method: 50 PwPD were assessed for FOF (Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I)), sleep quality (Pittsburgh sleep quality Index (PSQI)), and falls history.  Participants were classified into fallers or non-fallers based on the number and percentage of falls in the past 12 months;  fallers were participants who had fallen 2 or more times vs. non fallers were participants who reported no fall or one fall incident in the past 12 months. The relationships between sleep quality, and FOF was examined using stepwise multiple linear regression analysis while multiple binary logistic regression was used to examine whether PSQI total scores was associated with history of falls (i.e. being fallers vs non fallers).

Results: Multiple linear regression revealed that, after adjusting for age, sex, daily use of L-dopa and HY, FOF represented by the FES-I total score was not significantly associated with the the PSQI total score. However, significant differences were noted between faller and non-fallers groups in the PSQI total score (P<0.05). In addition, logistic regression demonstrated that fall status (i.e. faller vs non faller) was significantly associated with the PSQI total score (P<0.05) after adjusting for age, sex, disease severity and daily dose of L-dopa. ROC analysis demonstrated that PSQI total score has a good discriminant ability in distinguishing between fallers and non-fallers with a cut-off score of 7.5 points (sensitivity= 71%, specificity= 64%).

Conclusion: This study indicated that history of fall in PwPD is significantly associated with sleep quality. By addressing sleep deficits in PwPD, we may ameliorate falls in this population. This indicates the need to address sleep deficits when developing fall prevention programs in PwPD.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/relationship-between-sleep-quality-fear-of-fall-and-falls-history-in-people-with-parkinsons-disease/