Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in Parkinson?s Disease

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is one of the most common sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease (PD). It has attracted much attention due to high morbidity, poor quality of life, increased risk for accidents, obscure mechanisms, comorbidity with PD and limited therapeutic approaches. In this review, we summarize the current literature on epidemiology of EDS in PD to address the discrepancy between subjective and objective measures and clarify the reason for the inconsistent prevalence in previous studies. Besides, we focus on the effects of commonly used antiparkinsonian drugs on EDS and related pharmacological mechanisms to provide evidence for rational clinical medication in sleepy PD patients. More importantly, degeneration of wake-promoting nuclei owing to primary neurodegenerative process of PD is the underlying pathogenesis of EDS. Accordingly, altered wake-promoting nerve nuclei and neurotransmitter systems in PD patients are highlighted to providing clues for identifying EDS-causing targets in the sleep and wake cycles. Future mechanistic studies toward this direction will hopefully advance the development of novel and specific interventions for EDS in PD patients.

Automated summary

Excessive daytime sleepiness is a common sleep disorder in Parkinson's disease, which has attracted attention due to its impact on quality of life, increased risk for accidents, and limited therapeutic options. This review summarizes the current research on the epidemiology of excessive daytime sleepiness in Parkinson's disease, explores the effects of commonly used drugs on excessive daytime sleepiness, and highlights the underlying mechanisms for its development. It also emphasizes the importance of identifying therapeutic targets for the development of novel interventions.