The Influence of Poor Sleep on Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson's Disease - A Prospective Study

Question of the Study: To assess the associations between sleep complaints and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) prospectively. Design: A prospective German cohort study evaluating determinants of quality of life of PD patients in ambulatory care (FAQT Study) at the neurological outpatient clinics for Parkinson's disease of 10 German university hospitals. Patients and Methods: A group of 111 PD patients was evaluated twice, at baseline and at 1-year follow-up, using standardized and validated questionnaires. Results: At baseline, a third of the PD patients reported poor sleep 3 or more nights a week. Seventy per cent of this group named relevant depressive symptoms, significantly more than in patients with less frequent sleep complaints (P < 0.001). Quality-of-life scores were significantly reduced in patients with frequent poor sleep. Patients with more frequent sleep disturbances at follow-up reported decreased scores of all studied quality-of-life domains, whereas patients with less frequent sleep disturbances reported an improvement in the mental health domain. Conclusion: Sleep problems have an important impact on quality of life in PD patients, also prospectively.