Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Parkinson’s Disease—a Mini-Review

Purpose of Review: Sleep disturbances in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are very common and debilitating. In fact, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) shares core symptomology with PD including cognitive disturbances and excessive daytime sleepiness. This narrative review aims to summarize the available research evaluating OSA in PD and provide treatment considerations based on available data. Recent Findings: Pathophysiological evidence suggests a possible increased risk for OSA in PD, yet rates of OSA in PD appear to be similar to that seen in the general older adult population. The relationship between OSA and cognitive disturbances as well as excessive daytime sleepiness in PD has been evaluated and there is some evidence improvement in sleep and sleepiness with OSA treatment. Summary: Discrepant results have led to a debate on the relevance of OSA in PD and there is little agreement in current research and firm clinical conclusions are hard to ascertain. Nonetheless, research suggests that treatment of OSA can be tolerated by patients with PD and treatment results in sleep improvements. © 2018, Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature.