Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder
Other namesREM behavior disorder
Sleep talking in a person with RBD
SpecialtyPsychiatry, Sleep medicine

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder or REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a sleep disorder in which people act out their dreams. It involves abnormal behavior during the sleep phase with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The major feature of RBD is loss of muscle atonia (i.e., the loss of paralysis) during otherwise intact REM sleep (during which paralysis is not only normal but necessary). The loss of motor inhibition leads to sleep behaviors ranging from simple limb twitches to more complex integrated movements that can be violent or result in injury to either the individual or their bedmates.[1][2]

RBD is a very strong predictor of progression to a synucleinopathy (usually Parkinson's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies).[3][4] Melatonin is useful in the treatment of RBD.[5] RBD was first described in 1986.

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  2. ^ St Louis EK, Boeve BF (November 2017). "REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: Diagnosis, Clinical Implications, and Future Directions". Mayo Clin. Proc. (Review). 92 (11): 1723–1736. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2017.09.007. PMC 6095693. PMID 29101940.
  3. ^ Matar E, McCarter SJ, St Louis EK, Lewis SJ (January 2021). "Current Concepts and Controversies in the Management of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder". Neurotherapeutics (Review). 18 (1): 107–123. doi:10.1007/s13311-020-00983-7. PMC 8116413. PMID 33410105.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Arnaldi2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Boot2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).