The role of polysomnography in Parkinson's disease: objective sleep assessment and clinical indications
- 1Universidade Federal do Paraná, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Curitiba PR
- 2Universidade Estadual do Amazonas, Escola de Ciências da Saúde Manaus AM
Abstract
Sleep disorders (SDs) are highly prevalent in Parkinson's disease (PD), affecting up to 80% of patients during the disease and significantly contributing to impaired quality of life, cognitive decline, motor worsening, fall risk, and increased caregiver burden. Polysomnography (PSG) remains the gold standard for objective sleep assessment in PD and plays a central role in differential diagnosis and therapeutic planning. This review examines the spectrum of SDs identifiable by PSG, including rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), periodic limb movements in sleep, and alterations in sleep architecture. Video-polysomnography (v-PSG) is essential for confirming REM sleep without atonia (RWA), which is the electrophysiological hallmark of RBD and a recognized prodromal marker of synucleinopathies. Also, PSG quantifies the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), oxygen desaturation burden, and sleep fragmentation, parameters associated with cognitive impairment and disease progression. While home sleep apnea testing (HSAT, type 3) may be useful for selected cases with high suspicion of OSA, comprehensive in-laboratory (type 1) PSG provides superior diagnostic accuracy, particularly in patients with complex or overlapping sleep disturbances. Integrating objective sleep evaluation into routine PD management is crucial to identify treatable comorbidities, improve prognostic stratification, and optimize motor and non-motor outcomes.
Related
- Maternal characteristics, clinical indications, and neonatal outcomes in cesarean hysterectomy: A cross-sectional study
- Yield of Low Serum Vitamin B12 Results in General Pediatric Outpatient Practice: Age-Specific Patterns and Associations with Testing Indications and Recorded Clinical Features
- Facility-based assessment of caesarean section indications and outcomes in Njombe Region, Tanzania, 2024
- Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement: Clinical Challenges, Evolving Indications, and Future Directions.
- Surgeons in North America and Asia-Pacific Adopt Various Practices Regarding Surgical Indications, Graft Selection, and Imaging Assessment in Pediatric Patients With Patellofemoral Instability.
BibTeX
@article{zanatta2026role,
title = {{The role of polysomnography in Parkinson's disease: objective sleep assessment and clinical indications}},
author = {Alessandra Zanatta and Carlos Mauricio Oliveira de Almeida and Marcus Vinicius Della Coletta and Hélio Afonso Ghizoni Teive},
journal = {Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1055/s-0046-1829160},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0046-1829160},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The role of polysomnography in Parkinson's disease: objective sleep assessment and clinical indications
AU - Alessandra Zanatta
AU - Carlos Mauricio Oliveira de Almeida
AU - Marcus Vinicius Della Coletta
AU - Hélio Afonso Ghizoni Teive
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
DO - 10.1055/s-0046-1829160
UR - https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0046-1829160
AB - Sleep disorders (SDs) are highly prevalent in Parkinson's disease (PD), affecting up to 80% of patients during the disease and significantly contributing to impaired quality of life, cognitive decline, motor worsening, fall risk, and increased caregiver burden. Polysomnography (PSG) remains the gold standard for objective sleep assessment in PD and plays a central role in differential diagnosis and therapeutic planning. This review examines the spectrum of SDs identifiable by PSG, including rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), periodic limb movements in sleep, and alterations in sleep architecture. Video-polysomnography (v-PSG) is essential for confirming REM sleep without atonia (RWA), which is the electrophysiological hallmark of RBD and a recognized prodromal marker of synucleinopathies. Also, PSG quantifies the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), oxygen desaturation burden, and sleep fragmentation, parameters associated with cognitive impairment and disease progression. While home sleep apnea testing (HSAT, type 3) may be useful for selected cases with high suspicion of OSA, comprehensive in-laboratory (type 1) PSG provides superior diagnostic accuracy, particularly in patients with complex or overlapping sleep disturbances. Integrating objective sleep evaluation into routine PD management is crucial to identify treatable comorbidities, improve prognostic stratification, and optimize motor and non-motor outcomes.
SN - 0004-282X
SN - 1678-4227
ER -