REM sleep behavior disorder and REM sleep without atonia in probable Alzheimer disease

Sleep. 2006 Oct;29(10):1321-5. doi: 10.1093/sleep/29.10.1321.

Abstract

Study objective: To determine the frequency of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and REM sleep without atonia among patients with Alzheimer disease and control subjects.

Design: Overnight polysomnography.

Settings: Sleep laboratory.

Patients: Fifteen patients with probable Alzheimer disease (mean age +/-SD, 70.2+/-5.6) and 15 age-matched healthy control subjects (mean age +/- SD, 67.9 +/-5.4).

Intervention: N/A.

Results: Four patients with Alzheimer disease presented REM sleep with-out atonia. One of these patients had all the polysomnographic features of RBD, including behavioral manifestations during REM sleep.

Conclusion: RBD is rare, but REM sleep without atonia is relatively fre-quent in patients with probable Alzheimer disease, a tauopathy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease / epidemiology*
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism
  • Alzheimer Disease / physiopathology
  • Electroencephalography
  • Electromyography
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Muscle Hypotonia / diagnosis
  • Muscle Hypotonia / epidemiology*
  • Periodicity*
  • Polysomnography
  • Prevalence
  • Sleep Wake Disorders* / diagnosis
  • Sleep Wake Disorders* / epidemiology
  • Sleep Wake Disorders* / physiopathology
  • Sleep, REM / physiology*
  • Synucleins / metabolism
  • tau Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Synucleins
  • tau Proteins