Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Alzheimers Dis 2022 May 9. Epub 2022 May 9.

Department of Systems Medicine, Sleep Medicine Centre, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.

Background: Sleep disorders may cause dysregulation of cerebral glucose metabolism and synaptic functions, as well as alterations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker levels.

Objective: This study aimed at measuring sleep, CSF Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers, and cerebral glucose consumption in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and patients with periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), compared to controls.

Methods: OSAS and PLMD patients underwent 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET), polysomnographic monitoring, and lumbar puncture to quantify CSF levels of amyloid-β42 (Aβ42), total tau, and phosphorylated tau. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 04 14;19(8). Epub 2022 Apr 14.

Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 06351, Korea.

Although periodic limb movement during sleep (PLMS) and restless legs syndrome (RLS) are common in children and adolescents, they are relatively overlooked as a target of treatment. PLMS has been evaluated as having a lower clinical significance than RLS. This study examined the relationship of socio-behavioral factors of PLMS in Korean adolescents and checked whether PLMS is associated with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), depending on whether restless legs symptoms accompany it. Read More

Physiol Meas 2022 03 17;43(2). Epub 2022 Mar 17.

Sleep Number Labs, San Jose, CA, United States of America.

. Cardiac activity changes during sleep enable real-time sleep staging. We developed a deep neural network (DNN) to detect sleep stages using interbeat intervals (IBIs) extracted from electrocardiogram signals. Read More

Sleep Sci 2021 Jul-Sep;14(3):236-244

American University of Beirut, Psychiatry, Beirut, Lebanon.

Objective: To study the effects of different psychotropic drugs on sleep architecture and sleep-related disorders.

Material And Methods: In this retrospective review of 405 consecutive de-identified diagnostic polysomnograms performed at a sleep laboratory from 2007 until 2011, we grouped 347 polysomnograms into five categories: controls, antidepressants (AD), antidepressants + anticonvulsants (ADAC), antidepressants + antipsychotics (ADAP), antidepressants + anticonvulsants + antipsychotics (ADACP). We conducted pairwise comparisons for demographic characteristics, medical history, specific psychotropic medication uses and sleep architecture variables, and adjusted for multiple testing. Read More

Neurology 2022 04 7;98(15):e1585-e1595. Epub 2022 Feb 7.

From the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute (O.H., T.J., P. Rajendram, R.Z., P. Ravindran, S.O., M.B., Y.Q., B.J.M., M.I.B.), and Sleep Laboratory (B.M., M.I.B.), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto; the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (T.K.), University of Ottawa; and Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology (P. Rajendram, B.J.M., M.I.B.), University of Toronto, Canada.

Background And Objectives: To investigate the association between various medication classes and the periodic limb movement index (PLMI) in a clinical cohort of adults who completed in-laboratory polysomnography.

Methods: A single, diagnostic, overnight, in-laboratory polysomnogram was completed for 3,488 patients consecutively referred from 2010 to 2015 to determine PLMI. Medication use and medical comorbidities were collected through patient questionnaires. Read More

Sleep Breath 2022 Jan 14. Epub 2022 Jan 14.

Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai, Showa, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.

Purpose: Patients with psychiatric disorders often complain of sleep disturbances and are frequently suspected of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, data regarding sleep problems evaluated by attended polysomnography (PSG) remain limited in this population. We analyzed the results of attended PSG from psychiatric patients with sleep-related problems to determine the prevalence and features of sleep disorders among this population. Read More

Eur Urol Focus 2022 Jan 10;8(1):42-51. Epub 2022 Jan 10.

Bristol Urological Institute, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK; Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. Electronic address:

Context: Sleep disorders affect responsiveness to sensory information and can cause nocturnal polyuria and reduced sleep depth; hence, these are potentially influential in understanding the mechanism of nocturia.

Objective: To report the systematic review (SR) and expert consensus for primary care management of nocturia in sleep disorders.

Evidence Acquisition: Four databases were searched from January to April 2020. Read More

Sleep 2022 04;45(4)

Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA.

Restless sleep disorder (RSD) is a newly defined sleep-related movement disorder characterized by large muscle movements (LMM) in sleep. We examined the sleep study, clinical characteristics, and daytime functioning in children with RSD and compared them to children with periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) or restless legs syndrome (RLS). Video polysomnography from 47 children with restless sleep was retrospectively reviewed for LMM and age- and sex-matched to 34 children with PLMD and 12 children with RLS. Read More

J Thorac Dis 2021 Nov;13(11):6476-6494

Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, CNS, IoPPN, King's College London, London, UK.

Objective: Using narrative review techniques, this paper evaluates the evidence for separable underlying patho-mechanisms of periodic limb movements (PLMs) to separable PLM motor patterns and phenotypes, in order to elucidate potential new treatment modalities.

Background: Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) is estimated to occur in 5-8% of the paediatric population and 4-11% of the general adult population. Due to significant sleep fragmentation, PLMD can lead to functional impairment, including hyperactivity and delayed language development in children, and poor concentration and work performance in adults. Read More

Asian J Psychiatr 2022 Feb 2;68:102961. Epub 2021 Dec 2.

Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, 441002 Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Electronic address:

One of the comorbid conditions in an individual with Alzheimer's disease is a sleep disorder. Clinical features of sleep disorders involve various sleep disturbances such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSAS), Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS), Rapid Eye Movement (REM), Breathing Disorders, Periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS), etc. The primary tools used for the identification of such disturbances are Polysomnography (PSG) and Wrist actigraphy. Read More

Sleep Med 2022 01 19;89:31-47. Epub 2021 Nov 19.

Department of Orofacial Pain and Dysfunction, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Objective: Systematic reviews on sleep bruxism (SB) as a comorbid condition of other sleep-related disorders are lacking. Such reviews would contribute to the insight of sleep clinicians into the occurrence of SB in patients with other sleep-related disorders, and into the underlying mechanisms of such comorbid associations. This systematic review aimed: 1. Read More

J Clin Sleep Med 2022 Mar;18(3):945-948

IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia typically associated with synucleinopathy and evolving to neurodegenerative disorders. RBD is caused by impairment of brainstem nuclei controlling REM sleep muscle atonia. Rarely, focal lesions of the brainstem can cause secondary RBD. Read More

J Clin Med 2021 Oct 14;10(20). Epub 2021 Oct 14.

Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 06351, Korea.

Objective: We aimed to investigate relationships between sleep disturbances and phenoconversion to neurodegenerative diseases in patients with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD).

Method: Using a comprehensive sleep database in a university-affiliated hospital between December 2014 and March 2021, we reviewed the data of 226 patients with RBD (182 patients with idiopathic RBD (iRBD) and 44 patients with symptomatic RBD (sRBD) with a neurodegenerative disease).

Results: Among 226 patients with RBD (male, 61. Read More

Sleep Med 2021 11 8;87:114-118. Epub 2021 Sep 8.

University of Illinois School of Medicine, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL, USA.

Background: Iron supplementation is the most commonly considered treatment option for children with restless legs syndrome (RLS) or periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD); however, there is a scarcity of evidence on the effectiveness of intravenous preparations. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness and tolerability of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (IV FCM) on clinical symptoms and iron indices in children with RLS or PLMD.

Methods: This was a single-center retrospective data analysis. Read More

Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi 2021 Sep;101(35):2792-2797

Department of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, China.

To study the relationship between emotional apathy and motor symptoms, sleep, and cognitive function in patients with early Parkinson's disease (PD). One hundred and twenty-nine early PD patients who were treated in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from June to October 2020 were included, including 82 male and 47 female patients. The emotional apathy was assessed by modified apathy rating scale (MAES). Read More

Sleep 2022 03;45(3)

Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA.

Study Objectives: To evaluate leg movements during sleep (LMS) in children taking serotonergic antidepressants, compared to those of children with restless legs syndrome (RLS) and controls, and to assess the time structure of intermovement intervals (IMI).

Methods: Twenty-three children (12 girls, mean age 14.1 years) on antidepressants and with a total LMS index ≥ 15/h, 21 drug-naïve RLS children (11 girls, mean age 13. Read More

Sleep Med 2021 09 21;85:303-308. Epub 2021 Jul 21.

Michael Aldrich Sleep Disorders Laboratory and Sleep Disorders, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States; Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States. Electronic address:

Background: Behavioural difficulties are common in children with sleep disorders. However, up to now no study has investigated the association between sleep-related movement disorders (SRMD) and behavior in children with craniofacial cleft. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and impact of SRMD and growing pains in daytime/bedtime behavior in young children with cleft palate. Read More

Nat Sci Sleep 2021 23;13:1209-1224. Epub 2021 Jul 23.

Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, "Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu" Hospital Trust, Cagliari, Italy.

Study Objectives: PANS (pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric syndrome) is thought to be the result of several mechanisms and multiple etiologies, ranging from endocrine/metabolic causes to postinfectious autoimmune and neuroinflammatory disorders. Sleep disorders represent one of the most frequent manifestations of PANS, involving around 80% of patients. The present study describes the clinical and polysomnographic features in a group of PANS children identifying the relationships between sleep disorders and other PANS symptoms. Read More

Sleep Med 2021 08 27;84:389-396. Epub 2021 Jun 27.

Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut D'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED: CB06/05/0018-ISCIII), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; European Reference Network for Rare Neurological Diseases - Project ID No 739510, Spain. Electronic address:

Background: Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) is a rare neurologic disorder included in the group of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation diseases (NBIA). Information regarding sleep in patients with PKAN is limited.

Objectives: To describe the clinical and polysomnographic characteristics of sleep in six patients with genetically confirmed PKAN. Read More

BMC Nephrol 2021 07 5;22(1):249. Epub 2021 Jul 5.

Sleep Medicine Unit, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ospedale Civico, Lugano, Switzerland.

Background: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common sleep-related movement disorder characterized by an urge to move the legs during inactivity, especially at evening-night. RLS is highly prevalent in patients with kidney failure and have an impact on quality of life, mood, sleep quality and overall on compliance to the dialysis. Alport syndrome (AS) is a rare inherited disease, predominantly X-linked, secondary to mutations in genes encoding α3, α4 or α5 chains of type IV collagen, and characterized by hematuria, chronic kidney disease, neurosensory deafness, and lenticonus. Read More

J Clin Sleep Med 2022 01;18(1):11-20

Sleep Medicine Unit, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ospedale Civico, Lugano, Switzerland.

Study Objectives: To carry out an analysis of leg movement activity during sleep in a polysomnography dataset of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in comparison to idiopathic restless legs syndrome (iRLS) and healthy controls.

Methods: In this cross-sectional, observational, instrumental study, 57 patients (males/females: 11/46; mean age 46.2 ± 10. Read More

Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2021 ;121(4. Vyp. 2):75-79

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia.

Objective: To search for the association between white matter deterioration extend as well as related cognitive dysfunction and periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS) in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD).

Material And Methods: Thirty-four subjects with cSVD were enrolled (12 men, 22 women, average age 66.9 y. Read More

Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2022 01 22;30(1):1-11. Epub 2021 Apr 22.

McLean Hospital (RM, HVC, IVV), Belmont, MA; Harvard Medical School (IVV), Boston, MA.

Objective: To show the feasibility of using different unobtrusive activity-sensing technologies to provide objective behavioral markers of persons with dementia (PwD).

Design: Monitored the behaviors of two PwD living in memory care unit using the Oregon Center for Aging & Technology (ORCATECH) platform, and the behaviors of two PwD living in assisted living facility using the Emerald device.

Setting: A memory care unit in Portland, Oregon and an assisted living facility in Framingham, Massachusetts. Read More

Respirology 2021 07 20;26(7):700-706. Epub 2021 May 20.

Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) now affects one-seventh of the world's population. Treatment of even mild OSA can improve daytime sleepiness and quality of life. Recent modifications to uvulopalatopharyngoplasty may make it a more widely applicable treatment option in selected patients with OSA. Read More

Sleep Med Clin 2021 Jun 10;16(2):305-314. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Seattle Children's Hospital, OC.7.720 - Pulmonary, 4800 Sand Point Way Northeast, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.

Early-onset restless legs syndrome has a relatively high prevalence in pediatrics, is highly familial, and is often preceded by a diagnosis of periodic limb movement disorder or childhood insomnia. Diagnostic criteria are derived but not equal to those of the adult syndrome and are adapted according to children's age and linguistic competence. Diagnosis requires parents or caregivers to participate; video-polysomnographic nocturnal recording, although not mandatory, may help confirm dubious cases. Read More

Sleep Med Clin 2021 Jun;16(2):289-303

Sleep Medicine Unit, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Via Tesserete 46, Lugano 6900, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Periodic leg movements during sleep (PLMS) are a frequent finding in nocturnal sleep registrations that include tibialis anterior electromyographic signals. Different PLMS scoring rules exist and can have a major impact on PLMS frequency, which tends to be underappreciated. There is no consistent evidence that frequent PLMS are a causal risk factor for clinically significant outcomes. Read More

Sleep Med Clin 2021 Jun 15;16(2):279-288. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Sleep Disorders Clinical Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, One Bowdoin Square, 10th Floor, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Electronic address:

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensory-motor neurological disorder that is associated with high levels of distress and sleep disturbance. Cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence suggests that individuals suffering from RLS may be at an increased risk of certain psychiatric illnesses and cardiovascular diseases. There also is evidence for increased mortality rates in RLS patients, although contrasting results do exist. Read More

Nat Sci Sleep 2021 3;13:527-536. Epub 2021 May 3.

Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan City, Shandong Province, 250021, People's Republic of China.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to illustrate the electrophysiological features of sleep disturbances in patients with anti-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated protein 1 (anti-LGI1) encephalitis in both active and recovery stages.

Methods: Retrospectively filed video electroencephalogram (VEEG) and polysomnography (PSG) data in 24 patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis were analyzed in comparison with that in 20 individuals without sleep disorders as control group.

Results: Sleep efficiency (SE) and total sleep time involving REM and NREM sleep were significantly decreased in patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis during the active stage compared to that during the recovery stage and in the control group. Read More

Sleep Med Rev 2021 08 5;58:101488. Epub 2021 Apr 5.

Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Mental Health Center, Translational Neuroscience Center, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. Electronic address:

Polysomnographic studies have been conducted to explore nighttime sleep features in narcolepsy, but their relationship to narcolepsy is still imperfectly understood. We conducted a systematic review of the literature exploring polysomnographic differences between narcolepsy patients and healthy controls (HCs) in EMBASE, MEDLINE, All EBM databases, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. 108 studies were identified for this review, 105 of which were used for meta-analysis. Read More