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The association of brain lesion locations and sleep parameters in patients with multiple sclerosis: a pilot study

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Abstract

The relationship between sleep and brain lesions remains unknown in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and is currently under investigation. Sleep deprivation and reduction in the quality of sleep occur as a result of the direct involvement of the specific central nervous system structure. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between demyelination locations and sleep parameters such as sleep efficiency and respiratory disorders. The polysomnography measurements and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 28 patients with relapsing–remitting MS were examined. The MRI results were evaluated using standardized maps to depict voxel-wise probability distribution of demyelination lesion load for patients. First, supratentorial and infratentorial lesion loads were evaluated. Subsequently, the procedure was completed by measuring the lobes and brainstem lesions loads in the brain. There was a negative correlation between the percentage of REM (%) and infratentorial and brainstem lesion loads (\(\rho\): − 0.396, − 0.418; p < 0.05). Sleep efficiency was adversely affected due to supratentorial lesion loads but it was not statistically significant (p = 0.054). There was no statistically significant correlation between total brain lesion loads and sleep breathing parameters (p > 0.05). Although sleep-related breathing disorders are commonly seen in MS, this study shows that the polysomnography parameter most affected by brain lesion load distribution is REM sleep.

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Acknowledgements

My profound thanks to The Sleep Diseases Unit Laboratory staff who fully supported us.

Funding

The authors did not receive any financial support from the Unit of Scientific Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, Bozok University, Yozgat, Turkey

    Hikmet Saçmacı, Nermin Tanık, Yavuz Selim İntepe, Tülin Aktürk, Bülent Çiftçi & Levent Ertuğrul İnan

  2. School of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey

    İzzet Ökçesiz

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  1. Hikmet Saçmacı
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  2. Nermin Tanık
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  3. İzzet Ökçesiz
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Correspondence to Hikmet Saçmacı.

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Saçmacı, H., Tanık, N., Ökçesiz, İ. et al. The association of brain lesion locations and sleep parameters in patients with multiple sclerosis: a pilot study. Sleep Biol. Rhythms 17, 433–439 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41105-019-00231-2

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