Treatment of the Sleep Disorders Associated with Parkinson's Disease

Lynn Marie Trotti, Donald L. Bliwise

Sleep disorders are common in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), and preliminary work has suggested viable treatment options for many of these disorders. For rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, melatonin and clonazepam are most commonly used, while rivastigmine might be a useful option in patients whose behaviors are refractory to the former. Optimal treatments for insomnia in PD have yet to be determined, but preliminary evidence suggests that cognitive-behavioral therapy, light therapy, eszopiclone, donepezil, and melatonin might be beneficial. Use of the wake-promoting agent modafinil results in significant improvement in subjective measures of excessive daytime sleepiness, but not of fatigue. Optimal treatment of restless legs syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea in PD are not yet established, although a trial of continuous positive airway pressure for sleep apnea was recently completed in PD patients. In those patients with early morning motor dysfunction and disrupted sleep, the rotigotine patch provides significant benefit.