In a recent analysis published in the Sleep Medicine Journal looked into the intricate relationship between Parkinson's disease (PD) and its critical symptom, freezing of gait (FOG) which highlighted the profound impact of FOG on the sleep patterns of patients.
Parkinson's disease manifests with a spectrum of motor and non-motor symptoms. Among these, FOG stands out as a common debilitating phenomenon which episodically impede the ability of the patients to take efficient steps. Also, sleep disorders are prevalent in PD and significantly affect the quality of life of those affected. In an effort to understand the bidirectional relationship between FOG and sleep disorders, this study meticulously reviewed the existing literature by comprehensively searching the PubMed and Web of Science databases and identified 20 relevant studies.

The findings were striking. PD patients with FOG (PD + FOG) exhibited more severe symptoms of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, increased daytime sleepiness, decreased sleep quality, and more frequent and severe sleep disturbances compared to their counterparts without FOG (PD-FOG).
This finding underscore the substantial impact of FOG on the sleep patterns of PD patients. This comprehensive data revealed a consistent trend across various studies. This emphasizes that PD + FOG patients generally face worse quality of sleep, heightened levels of daytime sleepiness and more disruptive sleep disturbances.
The implications of this study recognize the strong association between sleep disturbances and FOG which open ways for more targeted evaluation and monitoring of these symptoms in PD patients. Also, it raises the possibility of future studies assessing how to manage sleep disturbances that might influence the severity and occurrence of FOG, and vice versa.
Source:
Milane, T., Hansen, C., Correno, M. B., Chardon, M., Barbieri, F. A., Bianchini, E., & Vuillerme, N. (2024). Comparison of sleep characteristics between Parkinson’s disease with and without freezing of gait: A systematic review. In Sleep Medicine (Vol. 114, pp. 24–41). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2023.11.021