Parkinson's patients with freezing of gait exhibit disturbed sleep patterns

Written By : Jacinthlyn Sylvia |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2024-01-16T04:00:35+05:30 | Updated On 16 Jan 2024 1:22 PM IST

In a recent analysis published in the Sleep Medicine Journal looked into the intricate relationship between Parkinson's disease (PD) and its critical symptom, freezing of gait (FOG) which highlighted the profound impact of FOG on the sleep patterns of patients.

Parkinson's disease manifests with a spectrum of motor and non-motor symptoms. Among these, FOG stands out as a common debilitating phenomenon which episodically impede the ability of the patients to take efficient steps. Also, sleep disorders are prevalent in PD and significantly affect the quality of life of those affected. In an effort to understand the bidirectional relationship between FOG and sleep disorders, this study meticulously reviewed the existing literature by comprehensively searching the PubMed and Web of Science databases and identified 20 relevant studies.

The findings were striking. PD patients with FOG (PD + FOG) exhibited more severe symptoms of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, increased daytime sleepiness, decreased sleep quality, and more frequent and severe sleep disturbances compared to their counterparts without FOG (PD-FOG).

This finding underscore the substantial impact of FOG on the sleep patterns of PD patients. This comprehensive data revealed a consistent trend across various studies. This emphasizes that PD + FOG patients generally face worse quality of sleep, heightened levels of daytime sleepiness and more disruptive sleep disturbances.

The implications of this study recognize the strong association between sleep disturbances and FOG which open ways for more targeted evaluation and monitoring of these symptoms in PD patients. Also, it raises the possibility of future studies assessing how to manage sleep disturbances that might influence the severity and occurrence of FOG, and vice versa.

Source:

Milane, T., Hansen, C., Correno, M. B., Chardon, M., Barbieri, F. A., Bianchini, E., & Vuillerme, N. (2024). Comparison of sleep characteristics between Parkinson’s disease with and without freezing of gait: A systematic review. In Sleep Medicine (Vol. 114, pp. 24–41). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2023.11.021

Sleep Medicine JournalParkinson

Source : Sleep Medicine

Jacinthlyn Sylvia

Neuroscience Masters graduate

Jacinthlyn Sylvia, a Neuroscience Master's graduate from Chennai has worked extensively in deciphering the neurobiology of cognition and motor control in aging. She also has spread-out exposure to Neurosurgery from her Bachelor’s. She is currently involved in active Neuro-Oncology research. She is an upcoming neuroscientist with a fiery passion for writing. Her news cover at Medical Dialogues feature recent discoveries and updates from the healthcare and biomedical research fields. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751