Our first ERIG meeting of 2023 took place online on Saturday 28th January The meeting started at 10.00am and was attended by 29 members. Our speaker was Amber Roguski, a Research Assistant at the Department of Sleep Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
Her talk explored the complex relationship between Parkinson’s and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). This is a common condition where the upper airway collapses during sleep, causing breathing pauses and fragmented sleep. This can lead to symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness and mood issues. Some research suggests that OSA is more likely to occur in People with Parkinson’s and that it can make their Parkinson’s symptoms worse. Studies trialling OSA treatments in People with Parkinson’s and coexistent OSA have found that some Parkinson’s symptoms improve.
Her talk also described an upcoming local research study (Chief Investigator Dr Renata Riha, Sleep and Respiratory Medicine Consultant, NHS Lothian) which will be the first randomised control trial investigating OSA therapies in People with Parkinson’s and coexistent OSA.
The talk was followed by a lively Q&A session.
You can watch a video recording of Amber’s talk here
You can listen to Dr Riha and Amber answering questions from the audience here