Sleep disruption is a prevalent feature in several neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, among others. Subjective evaluations demonstrate frequent night-time awakenings, difficulty in falling asleep, and daytime somnolence. Similarly, objective assessments through polysomnography or wrist actigraphy show a decrease in sleep efficiency and alterations in the sleep architecture of the patients.
Besides the high prevalence by the time of the diagnosis, disrupted sleep may appear years or decades before the diagnosis, suggesting a bidirectional relationship between sleep and neurodegeneration processes. Accordingly, several studies demonstrate that insomnia, sleep fragmentation, and sleep-disordered breathing are associated with an increased risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.
This Research Topic will appraise the current state of art of research on sleep and neurodegeneration through different perspectives. First, it is important to address which sleep domains are affected in patients in each neurodegenerative disease. Second, the potential role of sleep disruption in increasing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases will be highlighted, providing the scope for studies evaluating the underlying mechanisms. Finally, the modifiable nature of sleep and its potential as a therapeutic target will be addressed. Studies investigating the role of sleep as a marker or as a predictor of these diseases’ progression will also be considered.
The list of topics that are relevant includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Prevalence of sleep disruption among patients with distinct neurodegenerative diseases;
- Sleep characteristics of patients with neurodegenerative diseases;
- Sleep-associated risk for the development of neurodegenerative diseases;
- Mechanisms underlying the relationship between sleep and neurodegenerative diseases;
- Sleep as a therapeutic target in the context of neurodegeneration;
- Sleep as a marker or a predictor of the diseases’ progression.
As such, we will welcome articles ranging from basic to clinical research. Reviews on topics of interest are also welcome to this Research Topic.