Background: The clinical characteristics of Parkinson's disease (PD) differ between men and women, and late- and early-onset patients, including motor symptoms and some nonmotor symptoms, such as cognition, anxiety, and depression.
Objective: To explore the features of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and night-time sleep quality in PD patients of different sexes and age at onset (AAO).
Methods: Demographic data and clinical characteristics of 586 PD patients were collected. Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to investigate the daytime drowsiness and nocturnal sleep. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the risk factors of EDS and poor night-time sleep quality.
Results: Sleep disorders were common in PD patients. EDS was more prominent in men than in women. There was no significant difference in ESS scores between late-onset PD (LOPD) and early-onset PD. LOPD patients had a higher probability of poor night-time sleep quality. Male sex, disease duration, and depression were risk factors for EDS. In all patients of both sexes and all AAO, depression was a risk factor for poor night-time sleep.
Conclusion: More attention should be paid to sleep disorders of PD patients, especially male LOPD patients. Depression is a common risk factor for EDS and poor sleep quality in PD patients.
Keywords: Age at onset; Excessive daytime sleepiness; Nocturnal sleep quality; Parkinson’s disease; Sex difference.