REM sleep behavior disorder: update on diagnosis and management / Transtorno comportamental do sono REM: atualização no diagnóstico e manejo

Abstract REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is characterized by a loss of atonia of skeletal muscles during REM sleep, associated with acting out behaviors during dreams. Knowledge of this pathology is important to predict neurodegenerative diseases since there is a strong association of RBD with diseases caused by the deposition of alpha-synuclein in neurons (synucleinopathies), such as Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Proper diagnosis of this condition will enable the use of future neuroprotective strategies before motor and cognitive symptoms. Diagnostic assessment should begin with a detailed clinical history with the patient and bed partner or roommate and the examination of any recorded home videos. Polysomnography (PSG) is necessary to verify the loss of sleep atonia and, when documented, the behaviors during sleep. Technical recommendations for PSG acquisition and analysis are defined in the AASM Manual for the scoring of sleep and associated events, and the PSG report should describe the percentage of REM sleep epochs that meet the criteria for RWA (REM without atonia) to better distinguish patients with and without RBD. Additionally, PSG helps rule out conditions that may mimic RBD, such as obstructive sleep apnea, non-REM sleep parasomnias, nocturnal epileptic seizures, periodic limb movements, and psychiatric disorders. Treatment of RBD involves guidance on protecting the environment and avoiding injuries to the patient and bed partner/roommate. Use of medications are also reviewed in the article. The development of neuroprotective medications will be crucial for future RBD therapy.

Resumo O transtorno comportamental do sono REM (TCSREM) é caracterizado por uma perda de atonia dos músculos esqueléticos durante o sono REM, associada a comportamentos de atuação durante os sonhos. O conhecimento desse transtorno é importante como preditor de doenças neurodegenerativas, uma vez que existe uma forte associação de TCSREM com doenças causadas pela deposição de alfa-sinucleína nos neurônios, como a doença de Parkinson (DP), atrofia de múltiplos sistemas (MSA) e demência com corpos de Lewy (DLB). O diagnóstico adequado dessa condição permitirá o uso de futuras estratégias neuroprotetoras antes do aparecimento dos sintomas motores e cognitivos. A avaliação diagnóstica deve começar com uma história clínica detalhada com o paciente e acompanhante, além de exame de vídeos. A polissonografia (PSG) é necessária para verificar a perda da atonia do sono e, quando documentados, os comportamentos durante o sono. As recomendações técnicas para aquisição e análise de PSG são definidas no Manual da AASM (Scoring of sleep and associated events) e o relatório de PSG deve descrever a porcentagem de períodos de sono REM que atendem aos critérios para REM sem atonia. Além disso, a PSG ajuda a descartar condições que podem mimetizar o TCSREM, como apneia obstrutiva do sono, parassonias do sono não REM, crises epilépticas noturnas, movimentos periódicos dos membros e transtornos psiquiátricos. O tratamento do TCSREM envolve orientações sobre adaptações do ambiente para evitar lesões ao paciente e ao colega de quarto. Medicamentos utilizados são revistos no artigo, assim como o crucial desenvolvimento de medicamentos neuroprotetores.

Research progress on the common pathogenesis of Parkinson′s disease and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder / 中华神经科杂志

Parkinson′s disease (PD) is one of the neurodegenerative diseases with high incidence in middle-aged and elderly people, and its prodromal stage lasts for several years to decades, markers of disease progression in prodromal stage are important basis for early recognition and diagnosis of PD. Current studies have shown that rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is the specific clinical prodromal symptoms of PD, and has some of the same mechanisms as PD. Part of the same mechanisms develop regularly in the process of RBD converting to PD, which may produce valuable prodromal markers of PD. This paper reviews the common mechanisms of PD and RBD, in order to provide some ideas for the early clinical diagnosis and treatment of PD.

Characteristics of motor and non-motor symptoms in patients with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder and early Parkinson disease / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To investigate the motor and non-motor symptoms and polysomnographic features in patients with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), early Parkinson's disease (PD) with and without RBD.Methods:Patients with idiopathic RBD (IRBD) and early PD were collected from the clinics in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from August 2020 to May 2021.All the patients were divided into 3 groups including IRBD group (67 cases), PD with RBD (PD+ RBD) group (19 cases), and PD without RBD (PD-RBD) group (22 cases). Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale part 3 (UPDRS-Ⅲ), Hoehn-Yahr(H-Y) stage, Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), REM sleep behavior disorder questionnaire-Hong Kong (RBDQ-HK), 17-item Hamilton depression scale(HAMD-17), mini-mental state examination(MMSE), Sniffin’Sticks olfactory function test, visual analogue scale (VAS), and scale for outcomes in Parkinson's disease-AUT(SCOPA-AUT) were used to assess the motor and non-motor symptoms including sleepiness, RBD, depression, cognitive function, olfactory function, pain and autonomic function respectively.All patients were performed to the polysomnography (PSG) examination.One-way ANOVA, Krukal-Wallis test, χ2 test and Fisher accurate test were used to analyze the data of motor and non-motor symptoms and sleep parameters among the 3 groups accordingly. Results:There were statistically significant differences in motor symptoms among the three groups ( F=57.009, P<0.05), and the scores of UPDRS Ⅲ and H-Y stage were higher in the PD+ /- RBD group than those in the IRBD group(both P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in motor symptoms between PD+ RBD group and PD-RBD group ( P>0.05). There were no significant differences in the scores of ESS, MMSE, olfactory function test and VAS (all P>0.05). But the HAMD-17 score was significantly higher in the PD+ RBD group(2(1, 9)) than that in the IRBD group (0(0, 3)( P<0.05). The SCOPA-AUT scores of autonomic function were significant differences in the three groups, mainly in the digestive system, urinary system, and sexual function ( P<0.05). Notably, the IRBD group (8(4, 14)) and PD+ RBD group (11(7, 14)) had higher scores of SCOPA-AUT compared with PD-RBD group (4(4, 5.75)(all P<0.05), especially in the digestive dysfunction(all P<0.05). The PD+ RBD group(3.47±1.17) had higher scores of sexual function compared with IRBP group(1.78±0.60)( P<0.05), and the urinary system scores also higher than PD-RBD group( P<0.05). The PD-RBD group(21.30 (6.10, 34.00)/h) had a significantly higher oxygen desaturation index in REM sleep compared with that of IRBD group(5.90(2.70, 16.73)/h) ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Early PD with RBD has more severe non-motor symptoms, especially depression and autonomic dysfunction.RBD can be related with the earlier and more widely autonomic dysfunction.

Impact of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder and autonomic disorders on Parkinson's disease: a review / Impacto do transtorno comportamental do sono REM e doenças autonômicas na doença de Parkinson: uma revisão

ABSTRACT Parkinson's disease (PD) has heterogeneous clinical manifestations and prognoses. It is accompanied by a group of motor and non-motor symptoms ranging from independence to total disability, limiting work and personal care activities. Currently, disease subtype markers for informing prognosis remain elusive. However, some studies have reported an association between rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and faster motor and non-motor symptom progression, including autonomic dysfunction and cognitive decline. Moreover, since autonomic dysfunction has been described in idiopathic forms of RBD, and they share some central regulatory pathways, it remains unclear whether they have a primary association or if they are more severe in patients with PD and RBD, and thus are a disease subtype marker. This article aimed at critically reviewing the literature on the controversies about the prevalence of RBD in PD, the higher incidence of PD non-motor symptoms associated with RBD, the evidence of faster motor worsening in parkinsonian patients with this parasomnia, and the main pathophysiological hypotheses that support these findings.

RESUMO A doença de Parkinson (DP) apresenta variadas manifestações clínicas e distintos prognósticos. É caracterizada por um conjunto de sintomas motores e não motores que podem variar desde um quadro de independência até a completa incapacidade laborativa e de cuidados pessoais. Até o momento, não está claro quais seriam os marcadores de subtipos da doença que poderiam alertar para formas de prognóstico. Porém existem alguns estudos que mostram que a presença do transtorno comportamental do sono REM pode estar associada à progressão mais rápida dos sintomas motores e não motores, como disfunção autonômica e declínio cognitivo. Questiona-se ainda se a disautonomia está primariamente associada ao transtorno do sono REM, já que são relatadas nas formas idiopáticas deste transtorno de sono e compartilham alguns núcleos reguladores centrais. Ou se são mais graves nos pacientes com diagnóstico de DP e transtorno comportamental do sono REM, marcando assim um subtipo da doença. Esta revisão teve como objetivo revisar criticamente os principais estudos publicados envolvendo as controvérsias sobre a prevalência do transtorno comportamental do sono REM na DP, a maior incidência de sintomas não motores da DP associados ao transtorno do sono REM, as evidências de piora motora mais rápida nos pacientes parkinsonianos que apresentam este transtorno do sono e as principais hipóteses fisiopatológicas que justificam esses achados.

Progress in sleep disorders in multiple system atrophy / 中华神经科杂志

Multiple system atrophy can have various forms of sleep disorders, including insomnia, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, sleep-disordered breathing, periodic leg movements during sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness. This article will focus on the concept, classification, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment, aiming to deepen clinicians′ understanding of the disease, which will be helpful for early diagnosis and treatment.

Obesity as an additional factor for autonomic imbalance and poor sleep behavior in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a case-control study

OBJECTIVES: We compared the autonomic modulation and sleep behavior of eutrophic and overweight patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: COPD participants were divided into the overweight and eutrophic groups. Pulmonary function, blood pressure, body composition, autonomic modulation, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score were assessed. Participants performed the six-minute walk test for functional assessment. RESULTS: Spirometric variables obtained in eutrophic and overweight individuals with COPD showed no statistically different results. We observed that the SDNN index indicated lower overall variability (p=0.003), and root mean square of successive differences between normal heart beats (RMSSD) (p=0.04) indicated lower parasympathetic modulation in the overweight group than observed in the eutrophic group. The indexes of the frequency domain presented lower values of total variability (p<0.01), low frequency bands (p<0.01), and high frequency (p=0.02), suggesting a higher sympathetic modulation and reduced parasympathetic modulation of the overweight group compared to eutrophic group. The overweight group also showed reduced sleep quality than the eutrophic group. CONCLUSION: Overweight COPD patients showed lower autonomic modulation and impaired sleep quality, latency, and efficiency as compared eutrophic subjects. These results reinforce the importance of weight control and the acquisition of healthy habits in this population.

Recent Progress in Non-motor Features of Parkinson’s Disease with a Focus on Circadian Rhythm Dysregulation / 神经科学通报·英文版

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, which manifests with both motor and non-motor symptoms. Circadian rhythm dysregulation, as one of the most challenging non-motor features of PD, usually appears long before obvious motor symptoms. Moreover, the dysregulated circadian rhythm has recently been reported to play pivotal roles in PD pathogenesis, and it has emerged as a hot topic in PD research. In this review, we briefly introduce the circadian rhythm and circadian rhythm-related genes, and then summarize recent research progress on the altered circadian rhythm in PD, ranging from clinical features to the possible causes of PD-related circadian disorders. We believe that future comprehensive studies on the topic may not only help us to explore the mechanisms of PD, but also shed light on the better management of PD.

Intelligence-aided diagnosis of Parkinson's disease with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder based on few-channel electroencephalogram and time-frequency deep network / 生物医学工程学杂志

Aiming at the limitations of clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), in order to improve the accuracy of diagnosis, an intelligent-aided diagnosis method based on few-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) and time-frequency deep network is proposed for PD with RBD. Firstly, in order to improve the speed of the operation and robustness of the algorithm, the 6-channel scalp EEG of each subject were segmented with the same time-window. Secondly, the model of time-frequency deep network was constructed and trained with time-window EEG data to obtain the segmentation-based classification result. Finally, the output of time-frequency deep network was postprocessed to obtain the subject-based diagnosis result. Polysomnography (PSG) of 60 patients, including 30 idiopathic PD and 30 PD with RBD, were collected by Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University and the doctor's detection results of PSG were taken as the gold standard in our study. The accuracy of the segmentation-based classification was 0.902 4 in the validation set. The accuracy of the subject-based classification was 0.933 3 in the test set. Compared with the RBD screening questionnaire (RBDSQ), the novel approach has clinical application value.

Validation of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder Screening Questionnaire (RBDSQ-BR) / Validação da Versão Brasileira do Questionário de Triagem do Transtorno Comportamental do Sono REM (QT-TCSREM-BR)

ABSTRACT Introduction: A diagnosis of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) currently requires confirmation with polysomnography (PSG). However, PSG may not be sufficiently available. In these situations, a clinical diagnostic measure might be useful. Objective: To validate the Brazilian Portuguese version of RBD screening questionnaire (RBDSQ) for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods: Using detailed clinical interviews and PSG analysis (diagnostic gold standard), a convenience sample of 69 subjects was divided into the following subgroups: patients with PD and RBD (PD+RBD; n=50) and patients with PD alone (PD-RBD; n=19). Results: RBDSQ-BR showed adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.809) and, except for item 8, adequate item-test correlation. The retest performed in a second sample (n=13, consecutive) showed high agreement for total score (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC=0.863) and acceptable agreement for items 2, 3, 6.2, 6.3, 7, and 8 (K>0.60). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.728. A cut-off score of 4 enabled the correct diagnosis of 76.8% subjects and provided the best balance between sensitivity (84%) and specificity (57.9%), with a 2.0 likelihood ratio of a positive result (LR+) and a 0.3 likelihood ratio of a negative result (LR-). Items 2 and 6.2 had 84.2% specificity and 3.2 LR+. Combined items 1+2+6.2, 2+6.1, and 6.1+6.2 increased the specificity to 94.7%, with LR+ ranging from 6.1 to 7.6. Conclusions: RBDSQ-BR is a reliable instrument, which may be useful for RBD diagnosis of Brazilian patients with PD. The instrument is also valid and may help in a better selection of cases for a more detailed clinical evaluation or even PSG analysis.

RESUMO Introdução: O diagnóstico do transtorno comportamental do sono REM (TCSREM) implica na realização da polissonografia (PSG), mas sua disponibilidade pode não ser suficiente. Portanto, meios clínicos para o diagnóstico podem ser úteis. Objetivo: Validar para a língua portuguesa falada no Brasil o questionário de triagem do TCSREM (QT-TCSREM) em pacientes portadores de doença de Parkinson (DP). Métodos: Uma amostra por conveniência composta de 69 indivíduos foi dividida em portadores de DP com TCSREM (n=50) e DP sem TCSREM (n=19) através de entrevista clínica detalhada e análise da PSG. Resultados: QT-TCSREM-BR apresentou consistência interna adequada (α de Cronbach=0,809) e, exceto pelo item 8, correlação item-total adequada. Reteste feito em uma segunda amostra (n=13, consecutivos) evidenciou concordância elevada para o escore total (coeficiente de correlação intraclasse, CCI=0,863) e aceitável para os itens 2, 3, 6.2, 6.3, 7 e 8 (K>0,60). Análise da curva característica de operação do receptor (COR) obteve uma área sob a curva de 0,728. O corte 4 permitiu o diagnóstico correto de 76,8% dos indivíduos e apresentou o melhor equilíbrio entre sensibilidade (84%) e especificidade (57,9%), com uma razão de verossimilhança de um resultado positivo (RV+) 2,0 e de um resultado negativo (RV-) 0,3. Os itens 2 e 6.2 obtiveram especificidade 84,2% e RV+ 3,2. Itens combinados 1+2+6,2, 2+6,1 e 6,1+6,2 aumentaram a especificidade para 94,7%, com RV+ variando de 6,1 até 7,6. Conclusões: O QT-TCSREM-BR é um instrumento confiável que pode ser útil para o diagnóstico do TCSREM em pacientes com DP no Brasil. O instrumento também é válido e pode auxiliar numa melhor seleção de casos a serem submetidos a uma avaliação mais detalhada ou até mesmo a uma análise de PSG.

Unveiling sleep mysteries: neurobiology of dreaming / Revelando mistérios do sono: neurobiologia dos sonhos

Dreaming is the result of the mental activity of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage, and less commonly of non-REM sleep. Dreams offer unique insights into the patients' brains, minds, and emotions. Based on neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies, the biological core of dreaming stands on some brain areas activated or inactivated. Dream abnormalities in neurological disorders include a reduction / cessation of dreaming, an increase in dream frequency, changes in dream contents and accompaniments, and the occurrence of dreamlike experiences (hallucinations) mainly during the wake-sleep/sleep-wake transitions. Dream changes can be associated with several neurological conditions, and the unfolding of biological knowledge about dream experiences can also have significance in clinical practice. Regarding the dream importance in clinical neurological management, the aim of this paper encompasses a summary of sleep stages, dreams neurobiology including brain areas involved in the dreams, memory, and dreams, besides Dreams in the aging people and neurodegenerative disorders.

Sonhar é o resultado da atividade mental do estágio do sono de movimento rápido dos olhos (REM) e, menos comumente, do sono não-REM. Os sonhos oferecem informações únicas sobre o cérebro, a mente e as emoções dos pacientes. Com base em estudos neurofisiológicos e de neuroimagem, o núcleo biológico do sonho está em algumas áreas do cérebro ativadas ou inativadas. As anormalidades do sonho nos distúrbios neurológicos incluem uma redução / cessação do sonho, um aumento na frequência do sonho, alterações nos conteúdos e acompanhamentos do sonho e a ocorrência de experiências semelhantes ao sonho (alucinações), principalmente durante as transições de vigília-sono / sono-vigília. As mudanças do sonho podem estar associadas a várias condições neurológicas, e o desenvolvimento do conhecimento biológico sobre as experiências do sonho também pode ter significado na prática clínica. Com relação à importância do sonho no manejo neurológico clínico, o objetivo deste artigo é resumir os estágios do sono, a neurobiologia dos sonhos, incluindo as áreas do cérebro envolvidas nos sonhos, a memória e os sonhos, além dos sonhos nos idosos e nos distúrbios neurodegenerativos.

Abnormal eye movements in patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder / 浙江大学学报·医学版

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the characteristics of eye movements in patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD).@*METHODS@#Twenty two patients with iRBD and 20 controls were enrolled between January 2017 and May 2019 from Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Clinical data including polysomnogram (PSG) results were collected. Videonystagmography (VNG) including spontaneous nystagmus, gaze, saccade, tracking and optokinetic test were performed. The difference of VNG results between iRBD patients and controls were analyzed. The factors related to the abnormal VNG results were analyzed by using logistic regression analysis.@*RESULTS@#No significant differences were found between the iRBD and control groups in the spontaneous nystagmus, gaze nystagmus, square wave jerk, involuntary eye movement, saccade and optokinetic nystagmus (all >0.05). In smooth pursuit of 0.4-0.5 Hz and 0.6-0.7 Hz, iRBD patients had more type Ⅲ-Ⅳ curve than controls (=5.177 and 5.301, both <0.05). Logistic regression analysis indicated that less sleep time of N3 stage was related to the abnormal results in smooth pursuit of 0.4-0.5 Hz (=0.963, <0.05). iRBD patients with Ⅲ-Ⅳ type curve in smooth pursuit of 0.4-0.5 Hz had less N3 sleep time than iRBD patients with Ⅰ-Ⅱ type curve (52±28 min vs. 76±23 min, =2.197, <0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Abnormal smooth pursuit was found in iRBD patients, which might be related to the pathological mechanism of iRBD.

Study on rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder in patients with Parkinson disease psychosis / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore the sleep structure characteristics and risk factors in patients with Parkinson disease psychosis (PDP).Methods Fifty-one patients with Parkinson disease were enrolled.Sixteen cases met the diagnostic criteria of Parkinson disease psychosis were included in the PDP group,while the remaining 35 cases were included in the PD group as the control group.Sleep status was monitored by polysomnography.Neuropsychological assessment of patients with Parkinson disease was performed by Parkinson quality of life questionnaire,Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)and Hoehn-Yahr state (H-Y) of Parkinson disease.Results There were statistically significant differences in age of onset in PD group and PDP group (64.11±8.87,57.44±10.07,t=1.242),course of disease (2 (1,4),6 (4,7),Z=-3.888),HY stage (2 (1.5,2.5),3 (2,3),Z=-2.487)(all P＜0.05).The total sleep time in the PDP group was lower than that in the PD group ((344.06±26.39)min,(361.74± 17.16)min,P＜0.05).Compared with the PD group,the proportion of slow wave sleep phase Ⅰ in the PDP group was bigger ((42.88 ± 7.99) ％,(37.14±5.21) ％,t=-3.065),and the proportion of slow wave sleep phase Ⅱ in the PDP group was smaller ((31.19±5.92) ％,(37.51±5.70) ％,t=3.634) (P＜0.05).Single factor binary logistic regression analysis showed that the course of disease,age of onset,RBD,HY stage,PDQ-39 questionnaire score,total sleep time,slow wave sleep stage Ⅰ (％) and slow wave sleep stage Ⅱ (％) were the risk factors of PDP (P＜0.05).Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that the course of disease and RBD were independent risk factors for patients with PDP (P＜ 0.05).Conclusion Sleep structure changes in patients with PDP,and RBD is the independent risk factor for patients with Parkinson's psychotic disorders.

Nonmotor and Dopamine Transporter Change in REM Sleep Behavior Disorder by Olfactory Impairment

OBJECTIVE: It is unclear whether the decline in dopamine transporters (DAT) differs among idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) patients with different levels of olfactory impairment. This study aimed to characterize DAT changes in relation to nonmotor features in iRBD patients by olfactory loss. METHODS: This prospective cohort study consisted of three age-matched groups: 30 polysomnography-confirmed iRBD patients, 30 drug-naïve Parkinson's disease patients, and 19 healthy controls without olfactory impairment. The iRBD group was divided into two groups based on olfactory testing results. Participants were evaluated for reported prodromal markers and then underwent 18F-FP-CIT positron emission tomography and 3T MRI. Tracer uptakes were analyzed in the caudate, anterior and posterior putamen, substantia nigra, and raphe nuclei. RESULTS: Olfactory impairment was defined in 38.5% of iRBD patients. Mild parkinsonian signs and cognitive functions were not different between the two iRBD subgroups; however, additional prodromal features, constipation, and urinary and sexual dysfunctions were found in iRBD patients with olfactory impairment but not in those without. Tracer uptake showed significant group differences in all brain regions, except the raphe nuclei. The iRBD patients with olfactory impairment had uptake reductions in the anterior and posterior putamen, caudate, and substantia nigra (p < 0.016 in all, adjusted for age), which ranged from 0.6 to 0.8 of age-normative values. In contrast, those without olfactory impairment had insignificant changes in all regions ranging above 0.8. CONCLUSION: There was a clear distinction in DAT loss and nonmotor profiles by olfactory status in iRBD.

Disrupted network topology in patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective@#To explore the topological abnormality of brain metabolic network in patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) and compare it with the topology of brain metabolic network in patients with Parkinson′s disease (PD).@*Methods@#The 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET brain images of 19 patients with iRBD diagnosed with polysomnography (PSG) (iRBD group; 15 males, 4 females, average age: 64.9 years), 19 patients with PD (PD group; 12 males, 7 females, average age: 62.2 years) and 19 gender and age-matched healthy controls (HC group; 15 males, 4 females, average age: 63.1 years) in Huashan Hospital from September 2014 to June 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the complex brain network method based on graph theory, the brain metabolic networks of each group was constructed and the network parameters (clustering coefficient, characteristic path length, local efficiency, global efficiency and small-world property, etc) were evaluated quantitatively. The 500 times non-parametric permutation test was used to determine the differences in network parameters between groups.@*Results@#The brain metabolic networks of iRBD group and PD group both had abnormal topological structure, which showed that the characteristic path length (for example, when sparsity=34%, HC vs iRBD vs PD groups: 1.517 vs 1.552 vs 1.561) and local efficiency (for example, when sparsity=30%, HC vs iRBD vs PD groups: 0.802 vs 0.824 vs 0.831) were significantly increased (both P<0.05), the global efficiency (for example, when sparsity=36%, HC vs iRBD vs PD groups: 0.672 vs 0.658 vs 0.656) was significantly decreased (P<0.05). The topology was more aggravated in PD group compared with that in iRBD group.@*Conclusion@#The graph-based complex brain network analysis can reveal the abnormal topological structure of the brain metabolic network in which iRBD progresses to PD.

Parkinson's disease and sleep disorders / 中国实用内科杂志

Sleep disorders are very common non-motor symptoms in Parkinson disease(PD) related to the life quality of patients, mainly including insomnia, arousal disorders, restless legs syndrome(RLS), REM sleep behavior disorder(RBD) and sleep disorders breathing(SDB). In this article, the author discusses the causes and the current state of the diagnosis and management of sleep disorders in PD, aiming to increase clinical doctors' attention to it.

Disrupted network topology in patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective To explore the topological abnormality of brain metabolic network in patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) and compare it with the topology of brain metabolic network in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).Methods The 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET brain images of 19 patients with iRBD diagnosed with polysomnography (PSG) (iRBD group;15 males,4 females,average age:64.9 years),19 patients with PD (PD group;12 males,7 females,average age:62.2 years) and 19 gender and age-matched healthy controls (HC group;15 males,4 females,average age:63.1 years) in Huashan Hospital from September 2014 to June 2015 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the complex brain network method based on graph theory,the brain metabolic networks of each group was constructed and the network parameters (clustering coefficient,characteristic path length,local efficiency,global efficiency and small-world property,etc) were evaluated quantitatively.The 500 times non-parametric permutation test was used to determine the differences in network parameters between groups.Results The brain metabolic networks of iRBD group and PD group both had abnormal topological structure,which showed that the characteristic path length (for example,when sparsity =34％,HC vs iRBD vs PD groups:1.517 vs 1.552 vs 1.561) and local efficiency (for example,when sparsity=30％,HC vs iRBD vs PD groups:0.802 vs 0.824 vs 0.831) were significantly increased (both P＜0.05),the global efficiency (for example,when sparsity =36％,HC vs iRBD vs PD groups:0.672 vs 0.658 vs 0.656) was significantly decreased (P＜0.05).The topology was more aggravated in PD group compared with that in iRBD group.Conclusion The graph-based complex brain network analysis can reveal the abnormal topological structure of the brain metabolic network in which iRBD progresses to PD.

Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia characterized by sleep interruption or trauma due to abnormal behaviors that occur during REM sleep. The pathophysiology of RBD is known to be a dysfunction of brainstem circuit that causes the loss of skeletal muscle atonia during REM sleep. The diagnosis of RBD is needed to confirm REM sleep without atonia in the polysomnography. The management of RBD includes not only drug treatment, but also to prevent injury from RBD and to follow-up on neurodegenerative diseases that may occur later. RBD is thought to be a prodromal stage of neurodegenerative disease associated with α-synucleoinopathy, such as Parkinson's Disease or multiple system atrophy. This article reviews the symptoms, epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of RBD, the relevance of neurodegenerative diseases, and recent research trends.

Effect of Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder on Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity and Cognition of Parkinson's Disease Patients / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Background</b>Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are the most common sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this study was to identify whether RBD could alleviate OSA severity in PD patients and its effect on cognitive impairment.</p><p><b>Methods</b>From February 2014 to May 2017, we recruited 174 PD patients from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, all of whom underwent polysomnography (PSG). We collected clinical data, PSG results, and compared information between patients with and without RBD or OSA by analysis of covariance. We also investigated the effect of these sleep disorders on cognitive impairment using linear regression.</p><p><b>Results</b>We grouped participants as follows: PD only (n = 53), PD + OSA (n = 29), PD + RBD (n = 61), and PD + RBD + OSA (n = 31). Minimum oxygen saturation (SaO) during whole sleep and in REM sleep was higher in PD + RBD + OSA patients than that in PD + OSA patients. PD + RBD patients had worse Mini-Mental Status Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores than those in the PD group (P < 0.001), especially in visuospatial/executive, attention, and memory functions. The PD + OSA group performed worse than the PD group in the delayed recall domain. After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, education, disease severity, and other sleep disorders, MoCA was negatively associated with OSA (β = -0.736, P = 0.043) and RBD (β = -2.575,P < 0.001). The severity of RBD (tonic/phasic electromyography activity) and OSA (apnea-hypopnea index/oxygen desaturation index/minimum SaO) were also associated with MoCA. The adjusted β values of RBD-related parameters were higher than that for OSA.</p><p><b>Conclusions</b>We found that RBD alleviated OSA severity; however, RBD and OSA together exacerbated PD cognitive impairment. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether OSA treatment can improve cognition in PD.</p>

Relationships between Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder and Neurodegenerative Diseases: Clinical Assessments, Biomarkers, and Treatment / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Objective</b>Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is characterized by dream enactment and loss of muscle atonia during rapid eye movement sleep. RBD is closely related to α-synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy. Many studies have investigated the markers of imaging and neurophysiological, genetic, cognitive, autonomic function of RBD and their predictive value for neurodegenerative diseases. This report reviewed the progress of these studies and discussed their limitations and future research directions.</p><p><b>Data Sources</b>Using the combined keywords: "RBD", "neurodegenerative disease", "Parkinson disease", and "magnetic resonance imaging", the PubMed/MEDLINE literature search was conducted up to January 1, 2018.</p><p><b>Study Selection</b>A total of 150 published articles were initially identified citations. Of the 150 articles, 92 articles were selected after further detailed review. This study referred to all the important English literature in full.</p><p><b>Results</b>Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in SCARB2 (rs6812193) and MAPT (rs12185268) were significantly associated with RBD. The olfactory loss, autonomic dysfunction, marked electroencephalogram slowing during both wakefulness and rapid eye movement sleep, and cognitive impairments were potential predictive markers for RBD conversion to neurodegenerative diseases. Traditional structural imaging studies reported relatively inconsistent results, whereas reduced functional connectivity between the left putamen and substantia nigra and dopamine transporter uptake demonstrated by functional imaging techniques were relatively consistent findings.</p><p><b>Conclusions</b>More longitudinal studies should be conducted to evaluate the predictive value of biomarkers of RBD. Moreover, because the glucose and dopamine metabolisms are not specific for assessing cognitive cognition, the molecular metabolism directly related to cognition should be investigated. There is a need for more treatment trials to determine the effectiveness of interventions of RBD on preventing the conversion to neurodegenerative diseases.</p>

Related factors for rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder in early Parkinson disease / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

Objective To investigate the morbidity of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder(RBD) in early Parkinson disease (PD)and its related factors. Methods One hundred twenty-five early PD patients were divided into RBD group (n=51)and non-RBD group (n=74),according to the complicated with RBD.We collected the clinical data and used univariate and multivariate logistic regression methods to analyze the risk factors for rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder in early Parkinson disease. Results The incidence of RBD is 40.80% in early PD patients.Univariate analysis showed that the age, the motor phenotype (akinetic-rigid-type), modified Hoehn-Yahr(H-Y)grade, freezing, constipation and restless leg syndrome (RLS)were significantly higher in RBD group than in non-RBD group (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that constipation ( P=0.001,95% CI:1.980~12.253,OR=12.912)and RLS (P=0.014, 95% CI: 1.322~12.015, OR=6.378 ) were independent influencing factors for RBD in early PD patients. Conclusion Early PD patients with constipation or RLS are prone to RBD.