Episode 121: Parkinson’s Disease and Sleep

Restorative sleep is vital for optimal physical, mental, and emotional health. Sleep problems affect a large proportion of the general population and take many forms, so the consequences of poor sleep are widespread. In particular, sleep disturbances affect more than 75 percent of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). And according to our expert guest, Dr. Aleksandar Videnovic of Harvard Medical School and Director of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence, these problems are under reported by patients and under diagnosed by health professionals. The causes of sleep problems include recurrent symptoms of PD, disordered breathing, REM sleep behavior disorder, restless leg syndrome, and periodic limb movement disorder, among other factors and may be multifactorial. In this episode, Dr. Videnovic addresses some of the most frequent sleep problems – insomnia, REM sleep behavior disorder, and daytime sleepiness.

Released: January 25, 2022

Aleksandar Videnovic, MD, MSc is an Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, Director of the Division of Sleep Medicine at MGH, and Director of the MGH Program on Sleep, Circadian Biology and Neurodegeneration. He completed Neurology residency at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, followed by fellowships in Movement Disorders at Rush University and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University. Dr. Videnovic holds a Master of Science degree in clinical research. His clinical activities include the diagnosis and treatment of a wide spectrum of movement disorders and co-existent sleep dysfunction associated with these disorders. Dr. Videnovic directs a clinical and research program on REM Sleep Behavior Disorder at MGH. His research programs are focused on the interface of sleep, circadian biology and neurodegeneration, as well as on clinical trials in sleep and neurodegenerative disorders, with an emphasis on Parkinson's disease. Dr. Videnovic serves on numerous scientific committees within professional organizations, including the American Academy of Neurology, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the International RBD Study Group and the Parkinson Study Group.

About Aleksandar Videnovic, MD, MSc

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