Association between sleep disorder, sarcopenia, physical activity and clinical progression in people with Huntington's disease: A one-year longitudinal study using wearable technology.

BACKGROUND

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and psychiatric disorders. Sleep alterations are common in HD and are a significant contributor to the disease burden, affecting the quality of life and possibly exacerbating other symptoms.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between sleep disorders, sarcopenia parameters, physical activity, and clinical characteristics in patients with HD over a one-year period.

METHODS

A longitudinal observational study was conducted with 28 HD patients, assessing sleep objectively (wearable activity tracker) and subjectively (Sleep Questionnaire). Sarcopenia parameters, physical activity levels, and clinical scales were measured at baseline and after 12 months. Mixed models were used to examine the associations between the variables.

RESULTS

Better sleep quality at baseline was associated with younger age and a higher number of cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeats. After one year, improved sleep was linked to enhanced functional capacity, fewer behavioral symptoms, higher quality of life, and reduced fatigue. Significant differences were observed in muscle strength, indicating that patients with lower muscle strength had poorer sleep. Additionally, those with worse sleep walked fewer steps per day.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the importance of good sleep quality in improving clinical outcomes in HD patients. Wearable devices have proven useful for screening sleep disturbances, suggesting that regular strength training may alleviate sleep problems in this population.