Category: Parkinson's Disease: Non-Motor Symptoms
Objective: To determine the quality of sleep, the type of sleep disorders and their correlations with motor impairment in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients.
Background: Sleep disorders frequently coexist with PD, having bidirectional influences and affecting the patients’ quality of life.
Method: 37 PD patients (the study group) and 40 non-PD patients (the control group) were included in the study; 33 men (59.9%) and 44 women (57.1%), of similar ages (37±8.5 vs. 40±14.8, years, p>0.05). Sleep quality indices were determined by Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index questionnaire (PSQI), PD motor impairment – by UPDRSIII scale, PD phenotype – by tremor and akinesia scores (Tremor Score (TRScore) and Akinetic Rigid Score (ARScore)), quality of life – by the PDQ39 questionnaire.
Results: Compared to the control group, PD patients had a higher PSQITOTAL score (6.76±4.21 vs. 4.50±1.80, p=0.003) of which the worse subjective quality of sleep (PSQI1 score 1.08±0.76 vs. 0.55± 0.22, p=0.001) and the lower sleep efficiency (PSQI4 score 0.86±0.06 vs. 0.45 vs. 0.13, p=0.039) being the main contributors. PD patients more frequently reported sleep disorders (45.7% vs. 67.5%, p=0.047), nocturnal awakenings (65.5% vs. 35.9%, p=0.027) and sleep-disordered breathing (65.7% vs. 42.5 %, p=0.037). The general quality of sleep, expressed by the PSQI TOTAL score, significantly correlated with the UPDRS3 motor score (r=0.369, p=0.029), in particular with the Akinetic Rigid Score (ARScor: r=0.434, p=0.009) and the quality of life inversely correlated with sleep duration (r=-0.312, p=0.010).
Conclusion: General sleep quality and sleep efficiency are reduced in PD patients, mainly due to sleep disturbances, night awakenings and sleep-disordered breathing. Reduced overall sleep quality strongly correlates with the degree of motor impairment and akinesia, and reduces quality of life in PD patients.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
L. Rotaru, M. Cebuc, A. Lupușor, O. Grosu, S. Odobescu, O. Gavriliuc, I. Moldovanu. Sleep disorders in Parkinson’s disease patients. A case-control study. [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2023; 38 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/sleep-disorders-in-parkinsons-disease-patients-a-case-control-study/. Accessed June 14, 2025.« Back to 2023 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/sleep-disorders-in-parkinsons-disease-patients-a-case-control-study/