REM sleep disorders as a predictor of neurodegenerative diseases. Scale for assessment REM sleep and sleep disorders in Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Sleep is a normal, reversible state of loss of perception and lack of response to the environment. Sleeping time takes one third of a person's life. The idiopathic REM sleep disorder (REM sleep behavior disorders - RBD) is a parasomnia, that is an important risk factor for the development of Parkinson's disease (PD) and Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). They are part of a group of diseases called alpha-synucleinopathies. Their distribution is unknown. One of the obstacles to this is that current screening tools are too labor-intensive and expensive.
Inheritance in some neurodegenerative diseases is not very well understood, while much of the sleep disorders has an established genetic predisposition. Most likely, the use of methods for detecting disturbances during the REM sleep phase in relatives of persons with neurodegenerative diseases, would help to identify the risk of developing α-synucleinopathy when there are changes.
The experience in Bulgaria for validating and using questionnaires for sleep assessment is limited. They can contribute to early recognition of RBD among the general population and targeting for polysomnography. Perhaps their application among the direct relatives of patients with neurodegenerative diseases would lead to early referral for further research and prophylaxis. Sleep assessment in patients with PD can show the outcome of treatment. It is important to keep in mind the deterioration of sleep quality with prolonged use of anti-parkinsonian medications and antidepressants. These disorders can be detected with a similar type of questionnaire, which will benefit the neurologist in determining the type and dose of medication.