Objective: To investigate factors associated with the risk of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in Veterans with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Background: Sleep disordered breathing is common in Veterans with PD. However, specific clinical or demographic features that may increase this risk in this patient population are not fully defined.

Method: One hundred and ten consecutive PD Veterans were evaluated with respect to their risk for SDB using modified Berlin Questionnaire. Subjective sleepiness, parkinsonism and depression were also assessed using Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Zung Self Rating Depression scale (ZDS), respectively.

Results: 69 out of 110 Veterans with Parkinson’s disease (62.7 %) were at a high risk for sleep disordered breathing (SDB). 47 of these 69 subjects (68%) reported excessive daytime sleepiness (mean ESS score 15.3), while the remaining 22 subjects (32 %) did not (mean ESS score 3.76). In no/low risk for SDB group, 20 (48.7%) reported excessive daytime sleepiness.

10 of the “high SDB risk “subjects (14.5 %) were depressed, (ZDS score 50-61, mean 54) and all had ESS score ≥ 10 (12-24, mean 16.5). None of “no/low SDB risk” subjects endorsed depression.

There were no statistically significant differences between motor disease severity and demographic features between those with high or low risk for sleep disordered breathing.

Conclusion: Veterans with Parkinson’s disease are at a high risk for sleep disordered breathing. The risk appears to be increased in the presence of depression and excessive daytime sleepiness. 

Demographic features and motor disease severity does not seem to influence the risk for developing sleep disordered breathing in this group of Veterans.

Additional studies are needed to further characterize these observations.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/risk-factors-of-sleep-disordered-breathing-in-veterans-with-parkinsons-disease/