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. 2013 Sep;28(6):606-11.
doi: 10.1177/1533317513494453. Epub 2013 Jun 27.

Reduced orexin-A levels in frontotemporal dementia: possible association with sleep disturbance

Arzu Çoban  1 , Basar Bilgiç, Ebba Lohmann, Cem İsmail Küçükali, Gülçin Benbir, Derya Karadeniz, Hasmet A Hanagasi, Erdem Tüzün, Hakan Gürvit
Affiliations

Reduced orexin-A levels in frontotemporal dementia: possible association with sleep disturbance

Arzu Çoban et al. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2013 Sep.

Abstract

Sleep disturbances including excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) are encountered in frontotemporal dementia (FTD). To investigate the relationship between the plasma orexin-A levels and sleep disturbance patterns, we measured the plasma orexin-A levels and performed sleep studies in patients with FTD. The orexin-A levels were measured in 10 consecutive patients with FTD and controls by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Nocturnal polysomnography (PSG) and Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) were performed in 2 patients with FTD. The orexin-A levels were significantly lower in patients with FTD compared to controls. The PSG revealed increased rapid eye movement (REM) latency in patients, whether or not they reported EDS. Mean sleep latency in MSLT was less than 10 minutes in both the patients, being shorter in patient without EDS, but none of them had REM sleep onset. Some patients with FTD may develop narcolepsy-like involuntary sleep attacks, even without complaining of EDS. Involvement of hypothalamus and a subsequent alteration in the orexin levels might be one of the determining factors in this sleep disturbance.

Keywords: frontotemporal dementia; orexin-A; plasma; polysomnography; sleep disturbances.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Comparison of plasma orexin-A levels among the disease groups. AD indicates Alzheimer’s disease; FTD, frontotemporal dementia; PD, Parkinson’s disease. * indicates P < .05 and vertical lines indicate mean values.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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