Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2011 , Vol 14, Issue 4
EVALUATION OF SLEEP DISORDERS IN GERIATRIC PATIENTS IN AFYON REGION
Betül KARAGÜL1, Hakan ORAL1, Rıdvan ŞENER1, Özge YILMAZ-KÜSBECİ2
1Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Dönem 3 Öğrencisi AFYON
2Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Nöroloji Anabilim Dalı AFYON
Introduction: Sleep disorders are common among geriatric patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate sleep disorders and related factors among geriatric patients who applied to the hospital with the complaints except sleep disorders.

Materials and Method: A hundred geriatric patients (47 women and 53 men) were enrolled to the study. Study was made in two phases. In phase 1, a questionnaire including questions about symptoms and results related to sleep disoders was performed to the patients. In phase 2, suspected patients were evaluated by a neurology expert and a diagnosis has been made.

Results: Mean ages of men and women were 72.2±5.1 years, and 72.3±7.0 years; respectively. The prevelances of insomnia, sleep apnea, REM sleep behavior disorder and restless legs syndrome were 50.0%, 51.0%, 17.0% and 20.0%; respectively. In the evaluation of the relationship between sleep disorders and hypertension, asthma, hearth diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and pain, there was a statistically significant difference between insomnia and hearth diseases (p=0.021). But there were not a relation between the other diseases. In the evaluation of cognitive dysfunction, we found a statistically significant difference in the insomnia patients (p=0.003). In the evaluation of daytime sleepiness, we found a significant difference in sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome patients (p=0.015, 0.036; respectively).

Conclusion: High prevelance of sleep disorders and cognitive dysfunction were showed that sleep disoders should be examined in all of the geriatric patients. In this way, it could be possible to prevent problems related to sleep disorders and to contribute to increased use of health services. Keywords : Sleep Disoders; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Restles Legs Syndome; Sleep Apnea Syndromes; REM Sleep Behavior Disorder