Sleep attacks and antiparkinsonian drugs: A pilot prospective pharmacoepidemiologic study

A prospective sun ey was performed to characterize the prevalence of sleep attacks and to evaluate precipitating factors in a group of 236 patients wi th idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Sleep attacks were reported by 72 patien ts (30.5%). Multivariate analysis showed a marked association between the o ccurrence of sudden sleep episodes and first autonomic failure, followed by treatment with ropinirole and bromocriptine. The present work underlines t he major contributing role of autonomic failure followed by dopamine agonis ts in the occurrence of such an event. Because a relationship between sleep attacks and not only ropinirole but also bromocriptine treatment was descr ibed, the present work suggests that sleep attacks are a common side effect of all dopamine agonists.