Irresistible onset of sleep during acute levodopa challenge in a patient with multiple system atrophy: Placebo-controlled, polysomnographic case report

A 67-year-old male patient with clinically probable multiple system atrophy developed severe reproducible sleepiness and irresistible onset of sleep d uring an acute levodopa (L-dopa) challenge. In a placebo-controlled, double -blind study of acute L-dopa challenge, videopolysomnography revealed multi ple episodes of non-rapid eye movement sleep 60 minutes after L-dopa and no ne following placebo. These observations suggest the irresistible sleep can also be induced by L-dopa and also in patients with atypical parkinsonism. (C) 2001 Movement Disorder Society.