No Difference in Sleep and RBD between Different Types of Patients with Multiple System Atrophy: A Pilot Video-Polysomnographical Study

Background. Patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA), similarly to patients with alpha-synucleinopathies, can present with different sleep problems. We sought to analyze sleep problems in the two subtypes of the disease MSA cerebellar type (MSA-C) and MSA parkinsonian type (MSA-P), paying special attention to REM sleep disturbances and periodic limb movements (PLMs). Methods. In the study we included 11 MSA-C and 27 MSA-P patients who underwent one night polysomnography. For the analysis, there were 37 valid polysomnographic studies. Results. Sleep efficiency was decreased in both groups (MSA-C, 64.27% ± 12.04%; MSA-P, 60.64% ± 6.01%). The PLM indices using standard measures, in sleep (PLMS) and while awake (PLMW), were high in both groups (MSA-C patients: PLMS index 72 ± 65, PLMW index 38 ± 33; MSA-P patients: PLMS index 66 ± 63, PLMW index 48 ± 37). Almost one-third of the MSA patients of both groups presented features of RLS on video-polysomnography. RBD was described in 8/11 (73%) patients with MSA-C and 19/25 (76%) patients with MSA-P (P = 0.849). Conclusion. Our results showed very similar polysomnographic results for both MSA-P and MSA-C patients as a probable indicator for the similar pathologic mechanism of the disease and especially of its sleep problems.