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Background Non motor symptoms (NMS) of Parkinson’s disease (PD) are common and can be more disabling than motor symptoms. Sleep disorders can be seen in up to 98% of patients with Parkinson disease. Poor sleep quality has been associated with poverty and race, and yet there has been no prior report on sleep disorders in those with PD living in sub Saharan Africa. We wished to document the prevalence of sleep disorders in PD patients in Ethiopia. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional point prevalence study from July 1 to October 30, 2015 of all patients attending the neurology outpatient department in Tikur Anbessa and Zewuditu Memorial Hospitals, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Demographic data, clinical history and physical examination findings were collected from participants using a structured questionnaire. We used the Parkinson’s disease sleep scale version two (PDSS-2) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) to assess the sleep symptoms. Results Of the 155 patients surveyed, all patients reported some sleep problem. Over 43.9% of patients had a PDSS score > 18. The median score of ESS was 9 (IQR = 5–12), with 77/155 (49.7%) of the patients having possible or definite excessive daytime somnolence. A high EDSS score significantly associated with a Hoehn & Yahr score > 4 ( p = 0.02). Conclusions In Ethiopian PD patients, the prevalence of those with severe sleep disorders is the highest reported to date. The prevalence of possible/definite EDS is amongst the highest in the world. Further investigation into whether poverty or race explains this finding is needed.

Background. There is limited information and research carried out regarding the prevalence of poststroke depression (PSD) in the study area. Psychiatric disorders complicate a significant proportion of patients suffering from stroke. This of course have a great negative impact on our knowledge about poststroke depression in Ethiopia, and poststroke depression complicates a significant number of stroke patients and their rehabilitation. Methods. A cross-sectional study on all patients aged above 18 years and diagnosed with stroke in the past two years who attended the neurology follow-up clinics of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) and Zewditu Memorial Hospital (ZMH) was done by using a structured questionnaire containing Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) depression screening tool. Result. Of 84 patients who were eligible for the study, 32.2% of patients have depressive symptoms. Women (OR 0.001, 95% CI 0.12–0.87) and aphasic patients (OR 0.034, 95% CI 0.19–1.27) were more likely to have depressive symptoms. Conclusion. Depressive symptoms after stroke are common in Ethiopian patients. Our study demonstrates female and aphasic patients are more likely to screen positive for PSD. Hence, screening all poststroke patients with different screening tools is practical, and further studies are needed to assess the validity of these screening tools and also to assess PSD as a predictor of stroke outcome.

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Background: Non motor symptoms (NMS) of Parkinson’s disease (PD) are common and can be more disabling than motor symptoms.Sleep disorders can be seen in up to 98% of patients with Parkinson disease. Poor sleep quality has been associated with poverty and race, and yet there has been no prior report on sleep disorders in those with PD living in sub Saharan Africa. We wished to document the prevalence of sleep disorders in PD patients in Ethiopia. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional point prevalence study from July 1 to October 30, 2015 of all patients attending the neurology outpatient department in Tikur Anbessa and Zewuditu Memorial Hospitals, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Demographic data, clinical history and physical examination findings were collected from participants using a structured questionnaire. We used the Parkinson’s disease sleep scale version two (PDSS-2) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) to assess the sleep symptoms. Results: Of the 155 patients surveyed, all patients reported some sleep problem. Over 43.9% of patients had a PDSS score > 18. Presence of previous history of sleep disturbance before PD motor symptoms (OR 3.54; 95% CI 1.61-7.76, p=0.001) and unemployment (OR 2.27; 95% CI 1.07-4.79, p=0.023) associated with a high PDSS-2 score. The median score of ESS was 9 (IQR = 5-12), with 77/155 (49.7%) of the patients having possible or definite excessive daytime somnolence. Conclusions: In Ethiopian PD patients, the prevalence of those with severe sleep disorders is the highest reported to date. The prevalence of possible/definite EDS is amongst the highest in the world. Further investigation into whether poverty or race explains this finding is needed.