A recent study has found that the drug levodopa, commonly used to treat motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD), can also improve sleep quality for those living with the condition.
The study involved 22 Parkinson’s patients and showed that taking levodopa reduced the number of times they woke up during the night by 25% and decreased the amount of time they stayed awake by 30%.
These findings were published in the Journal of Sleep Research and highlight the potential benefits of levodopa beyond its usual role in managing tremors and other motor symptoms in PD.
The study monitored the sleep patterns of PD patients over four nights using a wearable device called an actigraph, which is similar to a wristwatch and detects movement.
The patients were observed for three nights while taking the drug and one night without it.
Interestingly, while the actigraphic data showed improvements in sleep, the patients themselves did not report feeling a difference in their sleep quality.
“This was the first study to objectively evaluate the effects of levodopa on sleep quality in PD patients and compare these results with what the patients reported subjectively,” said Fábio Barbieri, the study’s senior author and head of the Human Movement Research Laboratory (MOVI-LAB) at UNESP’s Bauru campus.
“The actigraphic readings showed an improvement in sleep quality after taking the drug, even though the patients didn’t notice it themselves.”
Barbieri explained that this difference between the objective measurements and the patients’ perceptions isn’t surprising.
“Parkinson’s disease can impair patients’ ability to perceive changes accurately. On average, the patients woke up ten times a night, so it’s understandable they might not have noticed any improvement. This is why it’s important to rely on actigraphic data when assessing the impact of levodopa on sleep.”
Levodopa and other dopaminergic drugs are primarily used to manage the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s, such as tremors and stiffness. These symptoms are often linked to sleep disturbances, as the dopaminergic system also helps regulate sleep. Changes in dopamine levels occur as the brain moves through different stages of the sleep-wake cycle.
While levodopa can improve sleep by helping patients fall asleep faster and reducing nighttime wakefulness, it’s important to remember that the drug should only be used under a doctor’s supervision. Possible side effects include confusion, drowsiness, insomnia, nightmares, and even hallucinations or delusions.
Sleep problems are common among Parkinson’s patients, with around 90% experiencing issues like insomnia, daytime drowsiness, or restless leg syndrome. Improving sleep quality is crucial as it is linked to better mobility and cognitive function in the morning.
Barbieri emphasized the importance of the study’s objective analysis, saying, “It was necessary to realistically assess the impact of levodopa on sleep. We concluded that skipping the fourth dose of the day leads to worse outcomes for sleep.”
The study also touched on the relationship between sleep quality and mobility, noting that poor sleep is associated with issues like freezing of gait—a sudden inability to move, which can lead to falls and is one of the most disabling symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
The research team continues to explore how sleep and mobility are connected in Parkinson’s, using advanced techniques like artificial intelligence to better understand the disease’s progression and develop more effective treatments.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies that Vitamin B may slow down cognitive decline, and Mediterranean diet could help lower risk of Parkinson’s.
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