Effect of Nanomicelle Curcumin on Quality of Life and Sleep in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease: A Double-Blind, Randomized, and Placebo-Controlled Trial

Considering the evidence indicating the neuronal protective effects of curcumin in previous studies, this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, and parallel-group trial was aimed at exploring the possible nanomicelle curcumin (SinaCurcumin®, nano-micellar soft gel)-mediated impact on sleep, fatigue, and quality of life (QoL) in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

A sample of 50 PD patients were recruited and randomly divided into experimental (25) and control groups (25). Sleep quality, fatigue, and QoL were assessed based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire–39 (PDQ-39), respectively, at the beginning and the end of the study. The groups were treated for three months by 80 mg of nano-micellar soft gel twice a day.

Nanomicelle curcumin significantly increased sleep quality and QoL compared with placebo (P values = 0.0001 and 0.0002, respectively) in PD patients. This significant difference has not influenced by the duration of the disease, the severity of disease progression (Hoehn & Yahr scale), and the cumulative dose of levodopa. This supplement did not have a significant effect on the fatigue severity of patients compared to placebo.

It has proposed that the nanomicelle curcumin can be used to improve sleep quality and QoL in PD patients.