Title
Lower calcium levels in hair of Parkinson’s disease patients are associated with presence of sleeping disturbances
Date Issued
01 January 2021
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
University of Limerick
Publisher(s)
Taylor and Francis Ltd.
Abstract
Objectives: To investigate the correlation between sleep disorders and the concentrations of three metals analyzed from hair samples of PD patients.The hypothesis of an involvement of an imbalance of metals in the development of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) has been strengthened by several clinical chemistry studies. Interestingly, while sparse, some studies have correlated the imbalance of metals in PD patients with comorbidities present in this disease. Although not all PD sufferers present sleep disturbances, significant disorders of sleep are common in this population. Methods: Sleep evaluation was divided into three parameters: sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness and clinically probable REM Sleep Behavior Disorder. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry (F AAS) was used to assess the concentrations of calcium, iron and zinc in hair samples collected from a population of PD patients registered in a Brazilian city and from controls (a total of 53 subjects). All subjects lived within a restricted geographical region and were exposed to similar environmental conditions. Results: PD patients with poor sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness exhibited significant differences in concentrations of calcium, but not iron or zinc when compared to levels found in controls and PD patients who do not report these sleeping problems. Discussion: Our data suggest that different subgroups of PD patients exist, and clinical chemistry could be useful as a biomarker for these subgroups, which needs to be confirmed in a larger patient population. Further, our data raise the question regarding whether normalization of calcium levels could improve the sleep quality and somnolence in PD patients.
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Neurología clínica
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85118154004
Source
Nutritional Neuroscience
ISSN of the container
1028415X
Sponsor(s)
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Brazil for funding support to Ph.D Grant to Altair Brito dos Santos.
This work was financially supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Brazil [Grant Number 99999.012934/2013-05]. The funding source(s) had no involvement, in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication.
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus