title: The relationship between thermoregulation and REM sleep behaviour disorder in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study explored the relationship between symptoms of rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, thermoregulation and sleep in Parkinson's Disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group comprised 12 patients with Parkinson's Disease and 11 healthy age-matched controls. We investigated markers of thermoregulation (core-body temperature profile), circadian rhythm (locomotor actigraphy) and sleep (polysomnography).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mesor (the mean value around which the core temperature rhythm oscillates) of the core-body temperature in patients with Parkinson's Disease was significantly lower than that of controls. In addition, the nocturnal fall in CBT (the difference between the mesor and the nadir temperature) was also significantly reduced in PD patients relative to controls. Furthermore, in patients the reduction in the amplitude of their core-body temperature profile was strongly correlated with the severity of self-reported rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder symptom, reduction in the percentage of REM sleep and prolonged sleep latency. By contrast, these disturbances of thermoregulation and sleep architecture were not found in controls and were not related to other markers of circadian rhythm or times of sleep onset and offset.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that the brainstem pathology associated with disruption of thermoregulation in Parkinson's disease may also contribute to rapid eye movement sleep behavioural disorder. It is possible that detailed analysis of the core-body temperature profile in at risk populations such as those patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder might help identify those who are at high risk of transitioning to Parkinson's Disease.
authors.affiliation: Parkinson's Disease Research Clinic, Brain and Mind Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bolitho
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grunstein
authors.forename: Sharon Linda
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Naismith
authors.forename: Simon John Geoffrey
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017286:Polysomnography; D012895:Sleep, REM