Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Apr 7:6:93-7.
doi: 10.2147/ndt.s9138.

Daytime sleepiness in elderly Parkinson's disease patients and treatment with the psychostimulant modafinil: A preliminary study

Johan Lökk  1
Affiliations

Daytime sleepiness in elderly Parkinson's disease patients and treatment with the psychostimulant modafinil: A preliminary study

Johan Lökk. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. .

Abstract

Background: Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) or Parkinsonian syndromes often report excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the psychostimulant modafinil on elderly, institutionalized, severely impaired PD patients with EDS.

Method: A three-week open study on ten institutionalized PD patients scoring >10 points on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) with modafinil eventually on 100 mg twice a day. Patients were assessed at the start, week 1, and week 3 with ESS, Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale severity of PD and appetite.

Results: Reduction of ESS score and PD severity over time were found as well as a significant increase in appetite and reduction in CGI score.

Conclusion: Modafinil 100 mg twice a day was safe and modestly effective for the treatment of EDS in elderly, institutionalized PD patients. Sustaining wakefulness throughout all stages of PD is crucial for participating in life, maintaining social life, and improving quality of life.

Keywords: Epworth sleepiness scale; Parkinson’s disease; daytime sleepiness; psychostimulant.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Larsen JP. Sleep disorders in Parkinson’s disease. Adv Neurol. 2003;91:329–334. - PubMed
    1. Hobson DE, Lang AE, Martin WR, Razmy A, Rivest J, Fleming J. Excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden-onset sleep in Parkinson disease: a survey by the Canadian Movement Disorders Group. JAMA. 2002;287:455–463. - PubMed
    1. Gjerstad MD, Aarsland D, Larsen JP. Development of daytime somnolence over time in Parkinson’s disease. Neurology. 2002;58:1544–1546. - PubMed
    1. Arnulf I. Excessive daytime sleepiness in parkinsonism. Sleep Med Rev. 2005;9:185–200. - PubMed
    1. George PT. Sleepiness, troika of consciousness cycle, and the Epworth sleepiness scale. Sleep Breath. 2001;5:181–191. - PubMed