Association between neurological disorders and sleep disturbances

Abstract

One fifth of populations had sleep problems such as insomnia, sleep apnea syndrome (SAS), REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), and hypersomnia. Sleep disturbances frequently complicated with neurological disorders. Also, some sleep disturbances proceed neurological disorders.

SAS is not only one of risk factors but also complication of cerebral vascular disorders. Also, SAS is one of risk factors of vascular dementia.

Patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) often have sleep disturbance on early stage of the disorder. Also, sleep disturbance is one of risk factors of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Recently, insomnia is supposed as one of risk factors of AD. On the other hand, hypnotics also is one of risk factors of dementia.

RBD is related with dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease (PD). Especially, RBD proceed synucleinopathies including multiple system atrophy. Questionnaires are useful for screening RBD. If Patients with RBD had other symptoms such as urinary dysfunction, color discrimination, cognitive impairment, and progressive motor symptoms, they might progress synucleinopathies.

Hypersomnia is related with lesions of hypothalamus such as stroke, brain tumor, demyelinating disease.

Many sleep disorders are associated with neurological disorders. Neurologists need to pay more attention to sleep disturbance.