1282 – Sleep Disturbances And Parkinson's Disease In a Hospital Setting In Romania

Abstract

Introduction

Sleep disturbance is common among patients with Parkinson's disease and occurs in approximately two thirds of patients.

Objectives

The main objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of sleep disturbances in patients with Parkinson's disease in Romania.

Aims

To asses risk factors associated with excessive daytime sleepiness and nocturnal sleep disorders.

Methods

44 consecutive inpatients with Parkinson's disease (41% females) were included in a study of non-motor symptoms, including sleep disturbances. All participants responded to the Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS), where an overall score below 82 or a score below 5 on a sub-item indicate sleep disturbances. Factors associated with sleep were also investigated, with special emphasis on severity of Parkinson's disease, fatigue, mental health and restless legs syndrome (RLS).

Results

The mean age was 67.8 years (range 35-74); the mean Hoehn and Yahr stage was 2.4 (SD 0.8), and the mean UPDRS part III was 22.6 (SD 11.5). Sleep disturbances were common among patients with Parkinson's disease. While only 17% of the sample had an overall score below 82 on the PDSS, 70% of the patients had a score below 5 on one item. There was no significant association between Parkinson's disease severity and any of the sleep items in the PDSS.

Conclusions

The current findings call for increased awareness of sleep problems in patients with Parkinson's disease, especially focusing on the association with mental health problems, fatigue and RLS.