The Effect of Rotigotine on Cognitive Function, Daytime Sleepiness, and Sleep Problems in Parkinson Disease: An Open-Label Pilot Study

We hypothesized that rotigotine may have a positive effect on cognitive function in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) by improving daytime motor function and sleep status. METHODS: Fifteen PD patients with sleep disturbances, defined as a PD Sleep Scale (PDSS)-2 score of 15 or greater, were included in this single-center, 3-month open-label study. Participants received 2 to 4 mg/24 h (patch content: 4.5–9 mg) rotigotine for a 3-month period. At baseline and 3 months, the patients were evaluated on the Movement Disorder Society Revision of the Unified PD Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) parts III and IV and cognitive assessments, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination, frontal assessment battery, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and PDSS-2 were administered at baseline and at 1, 2, and 3 months. RESULTS: At 3 months, the MDS-UPDRS part III (−11.1, P < 0.0001) and MDS-UPDRS part IV (−1.1, P = 0.0013) scores significantly decreased, and off time significantly decreased (−34.6 minutes, P = 0.0085) from baseline. The PDSS-2 scores significantly decreased from baseline at 1 month (−4.2, P < 0.01), 2 months (−7.7, P < 0.0001), and 3 months (−7.3, P < 0.0001). The ESS also decreased at 1 month (−2.5, P < 0.05) and 3 months from baseline (−4.5, P < 0.01). The MoCA scores (1.6, P = 0.0029) significantly improved, but the Mini-Mental State Examination or frontal assessment battery scores did not significantly change. The mean changes from baseline to 3 months in the MoCA were negatively correlated with mean changes in the ESS scores. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that rotigotine could improve cognitive function by improving motor symptoms, sleep disturbance, and daytime sleepiness in patients with PD.