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Evaluation of sleep-related respiratory disorders in patients with multiple sclerosis

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Abstract

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) often report fatigue, poor sleep and complaint of sleep disorders. Neurofilament light chain (NF-L) has been identified as a potential biomarker for disease progression in MS patients. In this study, we aimed to evaluate sleep characteristics in MS patients and its relationship with the level of serum NF-L. In the present study carried out as a prospective and cross-sectional study, 32 relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) patients and 32 control subjects were included. Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Fatigue Severity Scale tests were applied to the groups and the full night polysomnography was performed. Serum samples were obtained for NF-L analysis. Apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), AHI in rapid eye movement sleep (AHI REM), percentage of NonREM stage 1 (N1) and NonREM stage 3 (N3) values were significantly different in RRMS patients (p < 0.05). There was correlation between AHI and Expanded Disability Status Scale indicating a negative directed moderate relationship (r = − 0.343 p = 0.055). Serum NF-L correlations with sleep efficiency and percentage of NonREM stage 2 (N2) were showed mild significant correlation (r = − 0.342 as − 0.535, p < 0.05). We found that sleep disorders are prevalent in RRMS patients and it has a negative effect on the clinical outcome of disease. In clinical practice, the association of these two diseases should be taken into consideration because sleep disturbances increase the disability of MS disease especially presenting with fatigue.

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Acknowledgements

My profound thanks to Sleep Diseases Unit Laboratory staff who fully supported us. Besides, special thanks to Microbiology Laboratory Staff and Prof. Dr. Neziha Yılmaz and Prof. Dr. İhsan Gürsel.

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by coordination of Project Unit of Bozok University (Project No:6602a-TF/18-147).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bozok University Medical School, Yozgat, Turkey

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

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  1. Hikmet Saçmacı
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  2. Nermin Tanık
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  6. Bülent Çiftçi
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  7. Levent Ertuğrul İnan
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Contributions

HS: study concept, conducting the study, data interpretation, drafting the manuscript. NT: study concept, conducting the study, analysis of data, drafting the manuscript. SSÖ: study concept, technical assistance. analysis of data YSİ: study concept, technical assistance. analysis of data TA: study concept, drafting the manuscript for content. BÇ: study concept, drafting the manuscript for content. LEİ: study concept, drafting the manuscript for content.

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Correspondence to Hikmet Saçmacı.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest. This research did not contain any studies involving human or animal subjects.

Ethical approval

All procedures involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.

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Informed consent was obtained from all the individual participants included in the study.

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Saçmacı, H., Tanık, N., Özcan, S.S. et al. Evaluation of sleep-related respiratory disorders in patients with multiple sclerosis. Acta Neurol Belg 120, 1165–1171 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-020-01358-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-020-01358-7

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