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REM Sleep Behavior Disorder and Other REM Parasomnias.

Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.)
January 1, 1970
Roneil Malkani
ReviewJournal ArticleHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of melatonin as a first-line treatment for REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) symptoms.

Results Summary

Melatonin was identified as a first-line agent for managing RBD symptoms, alongside clonazepam, but specific efficacy details or comparative outcomes were not provided in the abstract.

Population

Individuals with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD).

Effective Dosage

Not mentioned

Duration

Not mentioned

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (6)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
Clonazepam
decrease
RBD symptoms
patients with RBD
-
are first-line agents for
#1
Melatonin
decrease
RBD symptoms
patients with RBD
-
are first-line agents for
#2
Rivastigmine
decrease
RBD
people with mild cognitive impairment
-
appears to be beneficial for
#3
Image rehearsal therapy
decrease
nightmare disorder
patients with nightmare disorder
-
is effective for
#4
Exercise
decrease
neurodegenerative risk
patients with isolated RBD
-
may have some neuroprotective effects
#5
-
no change
neurodegenerative risk
patients with isolated RBD
-
no treatment has been shown to modify
#6
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This article reviews rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and other REM sleep parasomnias, particularly recurrent isolated sleep paralysis and nightmare disorder. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: People with RBD have dream enactment behaviors that can be distressing and cause injuries to themselves or a bed partner. Diagnosis of RBD still requires video polysomnography but new evaluative techniques are emerging. Automatic scoring of REM sleep without atonia, the polysomnographic RBD feature, has led to clearer diagnostic cutoff values. Isolated RBD is strongly linked with neurodegenerative disorders, particularly α-synucleinopathies, with a median latency to neurodegenerative disease diagnosis of 8 years. Mounting imaging, electrophysiologic, and pathologic evidence supports neurodegenerative changes in patients with isolated RBD. Safety precautions should be reviewed with patients to reduce the risk of injury. Clonazepam and melatonin are first-line agents for RBD symptoms, and rivastigmine appears to be beneficial for RBD in people with mild cognitive impairment. For nightmare disorder, image rehearsal therapy is effective and can be delivered through online platforms. ESSENTIAL POINTS: While RBD symptoms can often be managed, patients with isolated RBD should be monitored for signs and symptoms of impending neurodegenerative disease. Individuals who wish to know about the associated risk should be counseled accordingly to allow planning and involvement in research if they choose. Exercise may have some neuroprotective effects, although no treatment has been shown to modify the neurodegenerative risk.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansREM Sleep Behavior DisorderNeurodegenerative DiseasesParasomniasREM Sleep ParasomniasCognitive Dysfunction
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy80/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations1
Citations/Year0.5
Relative Citation Ratio0.30
NIH Percentile16%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.25
Weight Score1.37
Normalized Score0.67
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