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Sleep movements and associated autonomic nervous activities in patients with Parkinson's disease
Author(s) -
Laihinen A.,
Alihanka J.,
Raitasuo S.,
Rinne U. K.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1987.tb03546.x
Subject(s) - parkinson's disease , wakefulness , sleep (system call) , arousal , psychology , autonomic nervous system , parasympathetic nervous system , anesthesia , medicine , physical medicine and rehabilitation , heart rate , electroencephalography , neuroscience , disease , blood pressure , computer science , operating system
Nine parkinsonian patients were studied during one night using the static charge sensitive bed (SCSB) method for the monitoring of respiration, ballistocardiogram (BCG) and body movements. The parkinsonian sleep was more restless than that of the controls. As the SCSB‐defined levels of autonomic nervous activity were concerned, the amount of motor active wakefulness (MAW) was significantly ( P < 0.05) increased in parkinsonian patients, who also had less quiet sleep ( P < 0.05) than the controls. Parkinsonian tremor was present during 29.8 ± 15.8% of the time in bed. Usually it was observed during wakefulness; it disappeared when the patient fell asleep. The frequency of turning‐over events in bed was smaller in the parkinsonian patients than in the controls ( P < 0.05). When the heart rate changes associated with sleep movements were studied it was found that the para‐sympathetic deceleration component in the parkinsonian patients was absent. The motor dysfunction associated with Parkinson's disease is reflected in many ways in the sleep movement activity. Sleep disturbances in PD seem to be secondary in character; i.e. they can be due to impaired motor functions like turning around in the bed, or due to impaired arousal mechanisms during sleep.