Sleep and Movement Disorders

In recent years, much new information has become available about the clinical features, epidemiology, and pathogenesis of movement disorders. It has become clear that many movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and Tourette's syndrome, are associated with prominent sleep complaints and a higher incidence of sleep disorders. However, those who treat patients with movement disorders are often unfamiliar with the evaluation of sleep and sleep disorders. Additionally, the available knowledge about sleep and its clinical disorders have expanded tremendously recently; this includes knowledge about the importance of maintaining quality of life and adequate daytime function. It is now well known that sleep has a profound influence on the motor system, which amounts to a reorganization of motor control. Because sleep specialists come from a variety of disciplines, they often have little familiarity with the body's motor system or its disorders.
This book provides sleep specialists, movement disorders experts, and general neurologists with a solid basic science foundation combined with useful information for the evaluation and treatment of patients affected by sleep and movement disorders. This unique text brings together the two often-interconnected areas of sleep disorders and movement disorders, to provide clinicians with practical information for the evaluation and treatment of these disorders. New developments - based on animal models, genetic studies and imaging - have led to a deeper appreciation for the basic science that underlies motor disturbances of sleep.