(Press-News.org) Parkinson’s disease patients who experience freezing of gait (a sudden inability to initiate or continue movement, often resulting in a fall) wake up several times during the night, feel sleepy during the day, and have REM sleep behavior disorder. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep plays a role in the maintenance of many cognitive processes.
These are key findings of a study supported by FAPESP and conducted by researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil and Grenoble Alps University (UGA) in France. An article on the study is published in the journal Sleep Medicine.
In a systematic review of 20 studies regarding sleep quality and freezing of gait, the researchers found a correlation between these two important symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. They stress the importance of evaluating and monitoring the correlation in patients and believe the finding may contribute to the development of novel treatment protocols.
“There was a suspicion that the two phenomena were linked, and our analysis of the literature appeared to confirm this hypothesis. The reason is that freezing of gait has a similar physiopathology to sleep quality [i.e. the physiological processes that are altered are similar]. The studies show that patients with one symptom and patients with the other have a brain injury in the pedunculopontine nucleus, a group of neurons in the brainstem connected to the basal ganglia,” said Fabio Barbieri, one of the authors of the article. He heads the Human Movement Research Laboratory (MOVI-LAB) and runs a project called “Ativa Parkinson” offering patients physical activities twice a week free of charge on UNESP’s Bauru campus.
However, he added, scientists do not yet know whether freezing of gait or poor sleep quality comes first. “The studies point to a more than 95% probability that a patient who experiences freezing episodes will also have a sleep disorder, but it’s also been found that a pronounced deterioration in sleep quality tends to be a sign that the patient may experience freezing episodes in future. The two symptoms are interconnected, and we haven’t yet been able to determine which appears first,” he said.
Treatment
Parkinson’s disease affects sleep generally, regardless of whether the patient has freezing of gait. In an unpublished study, Barbieri’s group and collaborators at UGA compared the effect of medication on sleep quality. “We found that sleep quality deteriorated when dopaminergic medication was stopped for sleep,” he said.
No specific treatment for freezing of gait is available, although it is one of the main reasons for falls among Parkinson’s patients. Alongside tremor and cognitive impairment, freezing is one of the factors that lower the quality of life for these patients. “Freezing doesn’t characterize a more advanced stage of the disease, and not all patients have the symptom, but we confirmed that it affects sleep quality,” Barbieri said.
The systematic review enabled the researchers to group together studies and findings on the links between freezing of gait and sleep disorders, Barbieri explained. “We noticed, for example, that most studies used indirect criteria to assess sleep quality, derived from questionnaires. We found only two studies that measured it directly using polysomnography [to monitor physiological variables during sleep]. The same was true for freezing of gait, which is typically diagnosed on the basis of questionnaires. For this reason, we’re starting a new study, in partnership with researchers in the United States, to try to monitor freezing of gait directly,” he said.
About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe.
END
Patients with Parkinson’s disease who experience freezing of gait have sleep disorders, study shows
The correlation between these two symptoms of the disease was observed by researchers affiliated with institutions in Brazil and France in a systematic review of 20 studies.
2024-03-05
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Study finds no safety concerns when the dapivirine vaginal ring is used during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, according to results presented at CROI 2024
2024-03-05
PITTSBURGH, March 5, 2024 -- Results of the third and final cohort of the DELIVER (MTN-042) Phase IIIb study found no safety concerns with use of the monthly dapivirine vaginal ring beginning during the second trimester of pregnancy and up to the time of delivery, researchers reported today at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024) in Denver. With this latest data, the researchers believe there is now sufficient evidence that the dapivirine ring is safe to use ...
After decades of Arctic sea ice getting faster and more hazardous for transport, models suggest a dramatic reversal is coming, York University study finds
2024-03-05
TORONTO, March 5, 2024 – Will ice floating in the Arctic Ocean move faster or slower over the coming decades? The answer to this question will tell us whether marine transportation can be expected to get more or less hazardous. It might also have important implications for the rate of ice cover loss, which is hugely consequential for Northern Indigenous communities, ecosystems, and the global climate system.
While observational data suggest the trend has been towards faster sea ice speeds, ...
Pioneering work in computational and theoretical neuroscience is awarded the world’s largest brain research prize
2024-03-05
The Lundbeck Foundation has announced the recipients of The Brain Prize 2024, the world’s largest award for outstanding contributions to neuroscience. This year’s award recognizes the pioneering work of three leading neuroscientists – Professor Larry Abbott at Columbia University (USA), Professor Terrence Sejnowski at the Salk Institute (USA), and Professor Haim Sompolinsky at Harvard University (USA) and the Hebrew University (Israel).
Theoretical and computational neuroscience permeates neuroscience today ...
New cardiovascular imaging approach provides a better view of dangerous plaques
2024-03-05
WASHINGTON — Researchers have developed a new catheter-based device that combines two powerful optical techniques to image the dangerous plaques that can build up inside the arteries that supply blood to the heart. By providing new details about plaque, the device could help clinicians and researchers improve treatments for preventing heart attacks and strokes.
Atherosclerosis occurs when fats, cholesterol and other substances accumulate on the artery walls, which can cause these vessels to become thick ...
BU study finds robotic-assisted surgery for gallbladder cancer as effective as traditional surgery
2024-03-05
(Boston)—Each year, approximately 2,000 people die annually of gallbladder cancer (GBC) in the U.S., with only one in five cases diagnosed at an early stage. With GBC rated as the first biliary tract cancer and the 17th most deadly cancer worldwide, pressing attention for proper management of disease must be addressed. For patients diagnosed, surgery is the most promising curative treatment. While there has been increasing adoption of minimally invasive surgical techniques in gastrointestinal malignancies, including utilization of laparoscopic ...
We know the Arctic is warming -- What will changing river flows do to its environment?
2024-03-05
AMHERT, Mass.– Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently combined satellite data, field observations and sophisticated numerical modeling to paint a picture of how 22.45 million square kilometers of the Arctic will change over the next 80 years. As expected, the overall region will be warmer and wetter, but the details—up to 25% more runoff, 30% more subsurface runoff and a progressively drier southern Arctic, provides one of the clearest views yet of how the landscape will respond to climate change. The results were published in the journal The Cryosphere.
The Arctic is defined ...
BU researcher examines clinicians’ attitudes towards major changes from the 2020 ACS Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines
2024-03-05
(Boston)—Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). New evidence has led to dramatic changes in cervical cancer screening recommendations over the past 20 years. In 2020, the American Cancer Society (ACS) released updated guidelines for cervical cancer screening. The main changes to current practices were to initiate screening at age 25 instead of age 21 and to screen using primary HPV testing rather than cytology (PAP test) alone or in combination with HPV testing. Since adoption of guidelines often occurs slowly, understanding clinician attitudes is important ...
The Arctic could become ‘ice-free’ within a decade
2024-03-05
The Arctic could see summer days with practically no sea ice as early as the next couple of years, according to a new study out of the University of Colorado Boulder.
The findings, published March 5 in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, suggest that the first ice-free day in the Arctic could occur over 10 years earlier than previous projections, which focused on when the region would be ice-free for a month or more. The trend remains consistent under all future emission scenarios.
By ...
Habitual short sleep duration, diet, and development of type 2 diabetes in adults
2024-03-05
About The Study: In this study involving 247,000 UK residents, habitual short sleep duration was associated with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This association persisted even among participants who maintained a healthy diet. To validate these findings, further longitudinal studies are needed, incorporating repeated measures of sleep (including objective assessments) and dietary habits.
Authors: Christian Benedict, Ph.D., of Uppsala University in Uppsala, Sweden, is the corresponding author.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi: ...
Screen time, sociodemographic factors, and psychological well-being among young children
2024-03-05
About The Study: In this multiyear cross-sectional study of a representative sample of young children in the U.S., the increased prevalence of high screen time in 2020 returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2021; however, it remained elevated in children living in poverty. Two hours or more of daily screen time was associated with lower psychological well-being among preschool-aged children.
Authors: Soyang Kwon, Ph.D., of Northwestern University in Chicago, is the corresponding author.
To access the ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Five minutes exposure to junk food marketing results in children consuming 130 kcals more per day, regardless of media advertising type
Key brain areas are larger in teenagers with abdominal obesity
3-month program of time-restricted eating at any time of the day supports long-term weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity
GLP-1 RA medications safe and effective for treating obesity in adults with mental illness
New study discovers link between delayed puberty and early-onset type 2 diabetes for the first time
Scientists create ‘mini-ovaries’ that may shed light on sex determination and infertility
CrystalTac: vision-based tactile sensor family fabricated via rapid monolithic manufacturing
Soft robots with Cy5: an “intake and work” imaging technique for intraoperative navigation of gastric lesion
The greater a woman’s BMI in early pregnancy, the more likely her child is to develop overweight or obesity, Australian study finds
The combination of significant weight gain and late motherhood greatly increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer, UK study finds
Weight-loss drugs cut alcohol intake by almost two-thirds, research in Ireland suggests
Swedish study explores differences in how the sexes break down fat
Antibiotics taken during infancy linked to early puberty in girls
Real-world evidence links long-term use of oral and inhaled steroids to adrenal insufficiency
Phthalates may impact key genital measurement in 3-year-olds
Phosphate levels in blood strongly affect sperm quality in men
Testosterone during pregnancy linked to physical activity and muscle strength in children
Menopause at an earlier age increases risk of fatty liver disease and metabolic disorders
Early-life growth proved important for height in puberty and adulthood
Women with infertility history at greater risk of cardiovascular disease after assisted conception
UO researcher develops new tool that could aid drug development
Call for abstracts: GSA Connects 2025 invites geoscientists to share groundbreaking research
The skinny on fat, ascites and anti-tumor immunity
New film series 'The Deadly Five' highlights global animal infectious diseases
Four organizations receive funds to combat food insecurity
Ultrasound unlocks a safer, greener way to make hydrogels
Antibiotics from human use are contaminating rivers worldwide, study shows
A more realistic look at DNA in action
Skia: Shedding light on shadow branches
Fat-rich fluid fuels immune failure in ovarian cancer
[Press-News.org] Patients with Parkinson’s disease who experience freezing of gait have sleep disorders, study showsThe correlation between these two symptoms of the disease was observed by researchers affiliated with institutions in Brazil and France in a systematic review of 20 studies.