Rem sleep behavior disorder: potential relationship to post-traumatic stress disorder

J Clin Neurophysiol. 2001 Mar;18(2):148-57. doi: 10.1097/00004691-200103000-00005.

Abstract

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia in which there is enactment, often violent, of dream mentation. Although this syndrome is sometimes associated with neurologic disorders, psychiatric comorbidity is not typical. The authors present a unique series of veterans with RBD. A high incidence of comorbidity with post-traumatic stress disorder is noted. The literature on RBD is reviewed, and the coexistence of RBD and post-traumatic stress disorder is reasoned. The authors suggest that it is possible that similar neuropathologic processes are responsible for both conditions, at times in the same patient.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Comorbidity
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Dreams
  • Electroencephalography
  • Electromyography
  • Humans
  • Mental Disorders / diagnosis
  • Mental Disorders / epidemiology
  • Middle Aged
  • Nervous System Diseases / diagnosis
  • Nervous System Diseases / epidemiology
  • Polysomnography
  • REM Sleep Behavior Disorder / diagnosis
  • REM Sleep Behavior Disorder / epidemiology*
  • REM Sleep Behavior Disorder / therapy
  • Sleep, REM
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / diagnosis
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / epidemiology*
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / therapy
  • Veterans