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REM sleep behaviour disorder
Dauvilliers Y, Schenck CH, Postuma RB, Iranzo A, Luppi PH, Plazzi G, Montplaisir J, Boeve B.. Nature reviews. Disease primers, 2018-08-30
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia that is characterized by loss of muscle atonia during REM sleep (known as REM sleep without atonia, or RSWA) and abnormal behaviours occurring during REM sleep, often as dream enactments that can cause injury. RBD is categorized as either idiopathic RBD or symptomatic (also known as secondary) RBD; the latter is associated with antidepressant use or with neurological diseases, especially α-synucleinopathies (such as Parkinson disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy) but also narcolepsy type 1. A clinical history of dream enactment or complex motor behaviours together with the presence of muscle activity during REM sleep confirmed by video polysomnography are mandatory for a definite RBD diagnosis. Management involves clonazepam and/or melatonin and counselling and aims to suppress unpleasant dreams and behaviours and improve bedpartner quality of life. RSWA and RBD are now recognized as manifestations of an α-synucleinopathy; most older adults with idiopathic RBD will eventually develop an overt neurodegenerative syndrome. In the future, studies will likely evaluate neuroprotective therapies in patients with idiopathic RBD to prevent or delay α-synucleinopathy-related motor and cognitive decline.
Key findings
- RBD is categorized as either idiopathic RBD or symptomatic (also known as secondary) RBD; the latter is associated with antidepressant use or with neurological diseases, especially α-synucleinopathies (such as Parkinson disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy) but also narcolepsy type 1.
Why it matters
This review describes REM sleep behaviour disorder, which is linked to neurological diseases including dementia with Lewy bodies, and notes that most older adults with the idiopathic form will eventually develop an overt neurodegenerative syndrome. The authors say future studies will likely test neuroprotective therapies in these patients, so no treatment or prevention is established yet.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 53/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Nature reviews. Disease primers) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Nature Reviews Disease Primers: journal h-index 281 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2018 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 494 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 49.4 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 206 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Bradley F. Boeve: h-index 173 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: institution h-index 2,511 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 18 institution(s) in 5 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30166532) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 53 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1038/s41572-018-0016-5
- PubMed: 30166532
- Original source →
- Free full text: IRIS UNIMORE (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia) →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Dauvilliers, Y., Schenck, C. H., Postuma, R. B., Iranzo, A., Luppi, P. H., Plazzi, G., et al. (2018). REM sleep behaviour disorder. Nature reviews. Disease primers. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41572-018-0016-5
Vancouver
Dauvilliers Y, Schenck CH, Postuma RB, Iranzo A, Luppi PH, Plazzi G, et al. REM sleep behaviour disorder. Nature reviews. Disease primers. 2018. doi:10.1038/s41572-018-0016-5. PMID: 30166532.
BibTeX
@article{dauvilliers2018-30166532,
author = {Dauvilliers, Y. and Schenck, C. H. and Postuma, R. B. and Iranzo, A. and Luppi, P. H. and Plazzi, G. and Montplaisir, J. and Boeve, B.},
title = {{REM sleep behaviour disorder}},
journal = {Nature reviews. Disease primers},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1038/s41572-018-0016-5},
pmid = {30166532},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41572-018-0016-5}
}
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