Rapid-eye-movement sleep behaviour disorder and neurodegenerative diseases

Abstract

Rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is characterised by loss of muscular atonia and prominent motor behaviours during REM sleep. RBD can cause sleep disruption and severe injuries for the patient or bed partner. The disorder is strongly associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as multiple-system atrophy, Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and progressive supranuclear palsy. In many cases, the symptoms of RBD precede other symptoms of these neurodegenerative disorders by several years. Furthermore, several recent studies have shown that RBD is associated with abnormalities of electroencephalographic activity, cerebral blood flow, and cognitive, perceptual, and autonomic functions. RBD might be a stage in the development of neurodegenerative disorders and increased awareness of this could lead to substantial advances in knowledge of mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.