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Sleep Disorders in Wilson’s Disease

  • Sleep (M. Thorpy and M. Billiard, Section Editors)
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

We aimed to review the sleep disorders described in Wilson’s disease (WD), focusing on their mechanisms and treatments.

Recent Findings

REM sleep behavior disorder or sleepiness can be warning signs of future WD. These early symptoms may significantly reduce the time to WD diagnosis. Early anti-copper therapies (chelators or zinc salts), reducing copper accumulation in the brain and though saving brain tissue, can allow the complete disappearance of these sleep disorders and of course improve the other symptoms of WD.

Summary

Insomnia, restless legs syndrome (RLS), daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, and REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) are present in WD and should be explored with video polysomnography and multiple sleep latency test. Suggested immobilization test could be useful in the diagnosis of RLS in WD. Motor and non-motor symptoms, dysautonomic dysfunctions, drugs, and lesions of the circuits regulating wake and sleep may be involved in the mechanisms of these sleep abnormalities. Adapted treatments should be proposed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sleep and Neurology Unit, Beau Soleil Clinic, 119 avenue de Lodève, 34070, Montpellier, France

    Valérie Cochen De Cock

  2. EuroMov, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France

    Valérie Cochen De Cock

  3. French National Reference Centre for Wilson’s Disease, Fondation Rothschild Hospital, Paris, France

    France Woimant & Aurélia Poujois

  4. Neurology Department, Lariboisière University Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France

    France Woimant

  5. Neurology Department, Fondation Rothschild Hospital, Paris, France

    Aurélia Poujois

Authors
  1. Valérie Cochen De Cock
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  2. France Woimant
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  3. Aurélia Poujois
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Correspondence to Valérie Cochen De Cock.

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Valérie Cochen De Cock, France Woimant, and Aurélia Poujois each declare no potential conflicts of interest.

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Cochen De Cock, V., Woimant, F. & Poujois, A. Sleep Disorders in Wilson’s Disease. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 19, 84 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-019-1001-4

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