Sleep problems in a large sample of patients with Parkinson's Disease – Prof. Andrew Coogan
MU research reveals that sleep problems are very common in Parkinson’s disease. Researchers at Maynooth University’s Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research and Department of Psychology have recently published a study showing that sleep problems are very common in people with Parkinson’s disease, and such sleep problems are associated with poorer quality of life in patients. Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative brain disease and is estimated to affect over six million people worldwide. The MU study was conducted by PhD candidate Ziba Asadpoordezaki, Research Fellow Dr. Beverley Henley and Professor Andrew Coogan, and was published in the Journal of Sleep Research.
The study examined records from over 38,000 patients with Parkinson’s disease in a database from the Michael J. Fox Foundation in which patients with Parkinson’s disease described their experiences of Parkinson’s disease, their mental health and cognition, and their sleep. Results of the study show that 84% of patients with Parkinson’s disease report experiencing sleep problems, a rate that is considerably higher than in people of the same age without the disease.
The presence of sleep problems, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, was associated with more symptoms of depression, greater difficulties with independent living and poorer quality of life. The presence of sleep problems was also associated with greater problems relating to “OFF periods”, times when the effects of medication for Parkinson’s disease wear off.
Professor Coogan says “Sleep problems are a significant burden to quality of life in a number of chronic health conditions. Our study shows how important sleep is to address in Parkinson’s disease, one of the most common and debilitating brain diseases” Professor Coogan also noted the key enablers of their research: The research database from the Michael J. Fox Foundation that we drew on in our study is a great example of the wonderful opportunities presented by large international studies for research that will help advance key questions in human health and benefit patients. In order to best take advantage of such opportunities, we also need collaborations between colleagues, such as facilitated in our study by the Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research at MU, which brings together colleagues with different expertise in health-related research”.
Link to the research paper here.