Citation

Spindler M, Gooneratne NS, Siderowf A, Duda JE, Cantor C, Dahodwala N. J. Parkinsons Dis. 2013; 3(3): 387-391.

Affiliation

Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA Parkinson's Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, IOS Press)

DOI

10.3233/JPD-130184

PMID

23948992

Abstract

Falls are frequent in Parkinson's disease (PD), and may be influenced by daytime sleepiness. We reviewed the records of 120 men with PD. Mean Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) values were significantly different between non-fallers and fallers (6.0 vs. 9.7, p < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, ESS remained significantly associated with falls (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.4, p = 0.02), along with cognitive impairment (OR 4.4 95% CI 1.0-18.7, p = 0.04) and postural instability/gait dysfunction (OR 1.6 95% CI 1.0-2.4, p = 0.03) in non-depressed patients. In conclusion, non-depressed PD patients are 20% more likely to fall for every one unit increase in the ESS measure of sleepiness.

Language: en