Sleep disorder

About: Sleep disorder is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 19380 publications have been published within this topic receiving 884281 citations. The topic is also known as: somnipathy & non-organic sleep disorder.

REM sleep behavior disorder predicts cognitive impairment in Parkinson disease without dementia

Abstract: We read the article by Vendette et al. with great interest.1 We have been prospectively investigating patients with Parkinson disease (PD) without dementia with polysomnography (PSG)-confirmed or excluded REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and cannot uniformly confirm an association of cognitive impairment with the presence of RBD in PD (table e-1 on the Neurology ® Web site at www.neurology.org). In a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment, patients with PD with RBD had lower scores in figural fluency, verbal and figural memory tests except for recognition, and had more difficulty with visuospatial tasks. Patients with PD also made more interference errors as in Vendette et al. ’s study, but patients with PD with RBD performed better in verbal fluency with fewer perseverations in the Goldenberg test, which evaluates concept learning and shifting. Apraxia, visuoperceptual, and other cortical deficits were not found in either group but no quantitative measures had been performed. Compared to matched healthy controls (unpublished data), our patients with PD with and without RBD showed mild impairment of executive function and memory, which can be seen in the early stages of PD.2 In contrast, patients with PD without RBD and healthy controls …

Nasal congestion secondary to allergic rhinitis as a cause of sleep disturbance and daytime fatigue and the response to topical nasal corticosteroids

Abstract: Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a frequent disease affecting up to 20% of the population. AR causes a hypersensitivity reaction, which results in inflamed nasal mucosa and nasal congestion. Negative pressure generated during inspiration in the nasal airway secondary to nasal congestion may lead to nasal collapse, airway obstruction, and an increased number of sleep microarousals. Sleep disturbances and microarousals can detrimentally affect daytime energy levels, mood, and daytime function. It is unknown whether treatment directed to reduce congestion may reduce these microarousals, sleep problems, and, consequently, associated daytime fatigue. Objective: We sought to determine whether reducing nasal congestion with nasal steroids will reduce sleep complaints and daytime sleepiness. Method: We enrolled 20 subjects in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study using Balaam's Design. Patients were treated with topical nasal corticosteroids or placebo. Subjective data were collected by use of a daily diary, which focused on nasal symptoms, sleep, and daytime sleepiness. Results: The results demonstrated that nasal congestion and subjective sleep improved significantly in the topical corticosteroid–treated subjects but not in the placebo group. Sleepiness improved, but not significantly ( p = 0.08). Conclusion: Often, people with perennial allergies may attribute their daytime fatigue to causes such as the side effects of medications, when in fact, the fatigue may be a result of nasal congestion and associated sleep fragmentation. Decreasing nasal congestion with nasal steroids may improve sleep, daytime fatigue, and the quality of life of patients with AR. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1998;101:633-7.)