REM SLEEP BEHAVIOUR DISORDER IN PATIENTS WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition, very prevalent in individuals over 65 years of age and universally distributed. In recent years, the frequency of association between this condition and REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) – a parasomnia that affects mainly the elderly and people with neurological disorders – has been the subject of many studies. This review seeks to analyze the possible relationship between RBD and the later development of PD, in addition to verifying the possibility that this parasomnia is a marker of poor prognosis for this alpha-synucleinopathy. This study analyzed observational cohort and case-control studies, published in English, in the Virtual Health Library and PubMed, with scores above 80% by the Downs & Black scale. Based on this investigation, it was observed that the selected studies bring RBD as a possible prodromal finding and/or marker of poor prognosis of PD. The presence of this disorder in patients with PD (PD-RBD) was related to the early manifestation of cognitive alterations – attention, memory, executive functions – in addition to psychological alterations, such as apathy and depression. Furthermore, PD-RBD was related to impulse control disorders and the presence of more significant motor manifestations of PD. Thus, the PD-RBD association proved to be a relevant factor in the clinical prognosis of PD, and it is necessary to produce studies that allow changes in the screening, management and follow-up of these patients, in a way that allows improvements in the quality of life both of PD patients, such as their family members and caregivers. In addition, the information collected in this article can serve as a basis for further studies in neuroscience.