REM behavior disorder (RBD)

What is it about?

REM behavior disorder (RBD) is a rare parasomnia and very often is misdiagnosed. It is characterized by the intermittent loss or impairment of REM sleep atonia and by the appearance of elaborate motor activity associated with vivid dream-enacting behaviors.A group of subjects in whom the clinical history fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for REM behavior disorder (RBD) of the criteria of American Sleep Disorders Association and Sleep Research Society (1997)described here were identified in our sleep unit between March 2000, and June 2007.

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Why is it important?

4 patients diagnosed as idiopathic RBD and one of them developed Parkinson disease 9 years after appearing of RBD symptoms and 4 patients also suffered from sleep apnea. 9 patients who their MRI showed multi - infracts lesions and 4 patients also suffered from sleep apnea. 5 patients suffered from drug-induced RBD (fluoxetine, paroxetine, mirtazapine, amadadine). 1 patient who suffered from neurinoma of right acoustic nerve. On polysomnography, the atonia that normally accompanies REM sleep is disrupted by periods of sustained increased tone, increased phasic muscle activity, or both. Simple as well as complex coordinated movements of the extremities occur during REM sleep, whereas periodic and aperiodic movements of the extremities may occur during NREM sleep.

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