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Review
. 2023 Jun 1;19(6):1133-1144.
doi: 10.5664/jcsm.10450.

An overview of the effects of levodopa and dopaminergic agonists on sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease

Amanda Scanga  1 , Anne-Louise Lafontaine  2 , Marta Kaminska  3   4
Affiliations
Review

An overview of the effects of levodopa and dopaminergic agonists on sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease

Amanda Scanga et al. J Clin Sleep Med. .

Abstract

Sleep disorders are among the most common nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson's disease and are associated with reduced cognition and health-related quality of life. Disturbed sleep can often present in the prodromal or early stages of this neurodegenerative disease, rendering it crucial to manage and treat these symptoms. Levodopa and dopaminergic agonists are frequently prescribed to treat motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease, and there is increasing interest in how these pharmacological agents affect sleep and their effect on concomitant sleep disturbances and disorders. In this review, we discuss the role of dopamine in regulating the sleep-wake state and the impact of neurodegeneration on sleep. We provide an overview of the effects of levodopa and dopaminergic agonists on sleep architecture, insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep-disordered breathing, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, and restless legs syndrome in Parkinson's disease. Levodopa and dopaminergic drugs may have different effects, beneficial or adverse, depending on dosing, method of administration, and differential effects on the different dopamine receptors. Future research in this area should focus on elucidating the specific mechanisms by which these drugs affect sleep in order to better understand the pathophysiology of sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease and aid in developing suitable therapies and treatment regimens.

Citation: Scanga A, Lafontaine A-L, Kaminska M. An overview of the effects of levodopa and dopaminergic agonists on sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(6):1133-1144.

Keywords: Parkinson’s disease; dopaminergic agonists; levodopa; sleep disorders.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have seen and approved the manuscript. Work for this study was performed at the Respiratory Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada. A.-L.L. reports advisory board honoraria from Abbvie, Sunovion, Paladin Labs, and Merz and speaker honoraria from Sunovion and Paladin Labs. The other authors report no conflicts of interest.

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