Irregular Circadian Rhythm in Older Adults Associated With Increased Risk of Parkinson's Disease

A study in JAMA Neurology found older men with a weak or irregular circadian rhythm are more likely to later develop Parkinson's disease, reports News-Medical . The researchers analyzed 11 years of data for 2,930 independently living men, average age 76.3. None of the participants initially had Parkinson's, and all were living in community-based environments. Earlier research drew an association between daytime napping and the later development of Parkinson's, even after considering sleep disturbances. During follow-up, 78 participants were diagnosed with Parkinson's, and those scoring lowest in actigraph amplitude, mesor, or robustness had a threefold risk of developing Parkinson's compared to those who scored highest. No association between acrophase and Parkinson's risk was observed. "If research points to sleep or circadian problems being risk factors for neurodegeneration prior to traditional symptoms, then we may be able to use that information for early detection and diagnosis, or we might be able to intervene in ways that prevent development of neurodegenerative loss of function," suggested University of California, San Francisco Professor Yue Leng.