OBJECTIVES: Sleep disorders such as insomnia are among the most frequent non-motor manifestations of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). This study compared the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, along with the quality of life of patients with PD in the US, with and without comorbid insomnia to understand the role of non-motor manifestations.

METHODS: Using Fox Insight Data, a longitudinal health study of people with and without PD, from October 2017 to September 2021, this cross-sectional study analyzed the clinical and patient-reported data of patients with PD, with or without comorbid insomnia. Clinical features such as cognitive function using the Penn Parkinson's Daily Activities Questionnaire-15 (PDAQ-15), movement-related experiences using the Movement Disorder Society - Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS Part II) score, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) using EQ-5D-5L index were compared in patients with PD and insomnia, against those with PD and without insomnia.

RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 1,979 PD patients, of which 1,091 patients (55.13%) also had comorbid insomnia. The mean age of patients with PD and comorbid insomnia was lower than patients without insomnia [Mean (SD): 67.56 (8.54) vs. 68.96 (9.02), p <0.001] and a higher percentage of them were females [55.55% vs. 43.13%, p<0.001]. A higher percentage of patients with PD and insomnia had moderate to severe impairment in cognitive ability [26.76 % vs. 22.30%, p=0.022], higher mean MDS-UPDRS score [Mean (SD): 14.42 (8.89) vs. 13.27 (8.69), p=0.004], but lower EQ-5D-5L index [Mean (SD): 0.72 (0.16) vs. 0.76 (0.14), p: <0.001], compared to patients with only PD.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with PD having comorbid insomnia were found to have worse cognition, movement symptoms, and HRQoL. Therefore, there is a further need to understand the role of insomnia in managing PD and improve the quality of care.