Presynaptic Dopaminergic Imaging Characterizes Patients with REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Due to Synucleinopathy.

OBJECTIVE: To apply a machine learning analysis to clinical and presynaptic dopaminergic imaging data of patients with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) to predict the development of Parkinson disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). METHODS: In this multicenter study of the International RBD study group, 173 patients (mean age 70.5 ± 6.3 years, 70.5% males) with polysomnography-confirmed RBD who eventually phenoconverted to overt alpha-synucleinopathy (RBD due to synucleinopathy) were enrolled, and underwent baseline presynaptic dopaminergic imaging and clinical assessment, including motor, cognitive, olfaction, and constipation evaluation. For comparison, 232 RBD non-phenoconvertor patients (67.6 ± 7.1 years, 78.4% males) and 160 controls (68.2 ± 7.2 years, 53.1% males) were enrolled. Imaging and clinical features were analyzed by machine learning to determine predictors of phenoconversion. RESULTS: Machine learning analysis showed that clinical data alone poorly predicted phenoconversion. Presynaptic dopaminergic imaging significantly improved the prediction, especially in combination with clinical data, with 77% sensitivity and 85% specificity in differentiating RBD due to synucleinopathy from non phenoconverted RBD patients, and 85% sensitivity and 86% specificity in discriminating PD-converters from DLB-converters. Quantification of presynaptic dopaminergic imaging showed that an empirical z-score cutoff of -1.0 at the most affected hemisphere putamen characterized RBD due to synucleinopathy patients, while a cutoff of -1.0 at the most affected hemisphere putamen/caudate ratio characterized PD-converters. INTERPRETATION: Clinical data alone poorly predicted phenoconversion in RBD due to synucleinopathy patients. Conversely, presynaptic dopaminergic imaging allows a good prediction of forthcoming phenoconversion diagnosis. This finding may be used in designing future disease-modifying trials. ANN NEUROL 2024.

Polysomnographic features associated with clonazepam and melatonin treatment in isolated REM sleep behavior disorder: Time for new therapeutic approaches?

AIMS: Although clonazepam (CLO) and melatonin (MLT) are the most frequently used treatments for REM sleep behavior disorder, the polysomnographic features associated with their use are little known. The aim of this study was to evaluate polysomnographic and clinical parameters of patients with idiopathic/isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) treated chronically with CLO, sustained-release MLT, alone or in combination, and in a group of drug-free iRBD patients. METHODS: A total of 96 patients were enrolled: 43 drug-free, 21 with CLO (0.5-2 mg), 20 with sustained-release MLT (1-4 mg), and 12 taking a combination of them (same doses). Clinical variables and polysomnography were collected. RESULTS: Although clinical improvement was reported in all groups, MLT impacted sleep architecture more than the other treatments, with significant and large increase in N3 stage, moderate reduction in N2 and REM sleep, and moderate increase in REM latency. CLO moderately increased the percentage of both REM sleep and especially N2, while reducing N1 and wakefulness. Patients treated with both CLO and MLT did not show major changes in sleep architecture. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the administration of MLT or CLO impacts (positively) on sleep parameters of iRBD patients. However, there is a need to better stratify patients, in order to treat them in a targeted manner, depending on the patient's individual sleep architecture and expected differential effects of these agents.

Sleep effects of Ketogenic diet in pediatric patients with migraine: Preliminary data of a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: Ketogenic dietary therapies' effects on sleep have been poorly investigated up to date. Preliminary results of a prospective study aimed at evaluating possible sleep changes in pediatric patients with migraine treated with classic ketogenic diet are presented. PATIENTS/METHODS: Included patients were aged 14-18 years and had a diagnosis of chronic migraine. A customized classic ketogenic diet was drawn up for all patients and all participants underwent neurological, nutritional and subjective and objective sleep assessment at baseline and after three months of follow-up (standardized sleep questionnaires, polysomnography, actigraphy). RESULTS: The majority of patients reported an improvement in migraine symptoms and quality of life. As far as sleep effects, a possible sleep stabilization was evidenced according to actigraphic data, and polysomnographic data showed a slight increase in total sleep time and sleep efficiency together with a reduction in waking time during night and a trend of NREM stage 1 decrease and REM increase. CONCLUSIONS: Future analyses on a broader population are needed to shed light on the ketogenic dietary therapies' effects on sleep and future research should be devoted to identify influence of possible individual and diet characteristics, and biochemical related changes.

Impaired Mitochondrial Respiration in REM-Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Biomarker of Parkinson's Disease?

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is associated with prodromal Parkinson's disease (PD), but the mechanisms linking phenoconversion of iRBD to PD have not yet been clarified. Considering the association between mitochondrial dysfunction and sleep disturbances in PD, we explored mitochondrial activity in fibroblasts derived from iRBD patients to identify a biochemical profile that could mark the presence of impending neurodegeneration. METHODS: The study involved 28 participants, divided into three groups: patients diagnosed with iRBD, PD patients converted from iRBD (RBD-PD), and healthy controls. We performed a comprehensive assessment of mitochondrial function, including an examination of mitochondrial morphology, analysis of mitochondrial protein expression levels by western blot, and measurement of mitochondrial respiration using the Seahorse XFe24 analyzer. RESULTS: In basal conditions, mitochondrial respiration did not differ between iRBD and control fibroblasts, but when cells were challenged with a higher energy demand, iRBD fibroblasts exhibited a significant (P = 0.006) drop in maximal and spare respiration compared to controls. Interestingly, RBD-PD patients showed the same alterations with a further significant reduction in oxygen consumption linked to adenosine triphosphate production (P = 0.032). Moreover, RBD-PD patients exhibited a significant decrease in protein levels of complexes III (P = 0.02) and V (P = 0.002) compared to controls, along with fragmentation of the mitochondrial network. iRBD patients showed similar, but milder alterations. CONCLUSIONS: Altogether, these findings suggest that mitochondrial dysfunctions in individuals with iRBD might predispose to worsening of the bioenergetic profile observed in RBD-PD patients, highlighting these alterations as potential predictors of phenoconversion to PD. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

The effects of ketogenic dietary therapies on sleep: A scoping review.

Sleep problems are common in neurological conditions for which ketogenic dietary therapies (KDTs) are recognised as an effective intervention (drug-resistant epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, and migraine). Given the composite framework of action of ketogenic dietary therapies, the prevalence of sleep disturbance, and the importance of sleep regulation, the present scoping review aimed at identifying and mapping available evidence of the effects of ketogenic dietary therapies on sleep. A comprehensive web-based literature search was performed retrieving publications published to June 2023 using PubMed and Scopus, yielding to 277 records. Twenty papers were finally selected and included in the review. Data were abstracted by independent coders. High variability was identified in study design and sleep outcome evaluation among the selected studies. Several changes in sleep quality and sleep structure under ketogenic dietary therapies were found, namely an improvement of overall sleep quality, improvement in the difficulty falling asleep and nighttime awakenings, improvement in daytime sleepiness and an increase of REM sleep. The relevance and possible physiological explanations of these changes, clinical recommendations, and future directions in the field are discussed.

Clinical and dopaminergic imaging characteristics of the FARPRESTO cohort of trial-ready idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior patients.

INTRODUCTION: Idiopathic/isolated rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is considered the prodromal stage of alpha-synucleinopathies. Thus, iRBD patients are the ideal target for disease-modifying therapy. The risk FActoRs PREdictive of phenoconversion in iRBD Italian STudy (FARPRESTO) is an ongoing Italian database aimed at identifying risk factors of phenoconversion, and eventually to ease clinical trial enrollment of well-characterized subjects. METHODS: Polysomnography-confirmed iRBD patients were retrospectively and prospectively enrolled. Baseline harmonized clinical and nigrostriatal functioning data were collected at baseline. Nigrostriatal functioning was evaluated by dopamine transporter-single-photon emission computed tomography (DaT-SPECT) and categorized with visual semi-quantification. Longitudinal data were evaluated to assess phenoconversion. Cox regressions were applied to calculate hazard ratios. RESULTS: 365 patients were enrolled, and 289 patients with follow-up (age 67.7 ± 7.3 years, 237 males, mean follow-up 40 ± 37 months) were included in this study. At follow-up, 97 iRBD patients (33.6%) phenoconverted to an overt synucleinopathy. Older age, motor and cognitive impairment, constipation, urinary and sexual dysfunction, depression, and visual semi-quantification of nigrostriatal functioning predicted phenoconversion. The remaining 268 patients are in follow-up within the FARPRESTO project. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical data (older age, motor and cognitive impairment, constipation, urinary and sexual dysfunction, depression) predicted phenoconversion in this multicenter, longitudinal, observational study. A standardized visual approach for semi-quantification of DaT-SPECT is proposed as a practical risk factor for phenoconversion in iRBD patients. Of note, non-converted and newly diagnosed iRBD patients, who represent a trial-ready cohort for upcoming disease-modification trials, are currently being enrolled and followed in the FARPRESTO study. New data are expected to allow better risk characterization.

Neuropsychological evaluation of phenoconversion risk in REM sleep behaviour disorder: A scoping review.

The objective of this study was to assess the role of cognitive evaluation in the prediction of phenoconversion in polysomnography-confirmed idiopathic or isolated rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, through a scoping review focussing on a longitudinal comprehensive neuropsychological assessment of patients with idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder. A literature search (2006-2022) yielded 1034 records, and 20 were selected for analysis. The sample included 899 patients from eight different cohorts and five countries. We extracted data on clinical evolution, mild cognitive impairment diagnosis, neuropsychological tests used, and classification of cognitive domains. Tests, cognitive domains, and mild cognitive impairment definitions were heterogeneous across the studies, precluding a meta-analysis. Ten studies (50%) evaluated the presence of mild cognitive impairment; 14 studies (70%) grouped neuropsychological tests into between three (6 studies, 21.4%) and seven (1 study, 7.1%) cognitive domains. The most frequently used tests were semantic fluency, Stroop colour word test, trail making test A and B, digit span, Rey auditory verbal learning test, and Rey-Osterrieth figure. All except digit span showed a role in predicting phenoconversion. The authors did not consistently assign tests to specific cognitive domains. In conclusion, we discuss methodological differences between the studies and highlight the need for a standardised framework for neuropsychological data acquisition and presentation, based on a multilevel approach covering test selection, domain assignment, and mild cognitive impairment diagnostic criteria.

Progression of clinical markers in prodromal Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies: a multicentre study.

The neurodegenerative synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, are characterized by a typically lengthy prodromal period of progressive subclinical motor and non-motor manifestations. Among these, idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder is a powerful early predictor of eventual phenoconversion, and therefore represents a critical opportunity to intervene with neuroprotective therapy. To inform the design of randomized trials, it is essential to study the natural progression of clinical markers during the prodromal stages of disease in order to establish optimal clinical end points. In this study, we combined prospective follow-up data from 28 centres of the International REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Study Group representing 12 countries. Polysomnogram-confirmed REM sleep behaviour disorder subjects were assessed for prodromal Parkinson's disease using the Movement Disorder Society criteria and underwent periodic structured sleep, motor, cognitive, autonomic and olfactory testing. We used linear mixed-effect modelling to estimate annual rates of clinical marker progression stratified by disease subtype, including prodromal Parkinson's disease and prodromal dementia with Lewy bodies. In addition, we calculated sample size requirements to demonstrate slowing of progression under different anticipated treatment effects. Overall, 1160 subjects were followed over an average of 3.3 ± 2.2 years. Among clinical variables assessed continuously, motor variables tended to progress faster and required the lowest sample sizes, ranging from 151 to 560 per group (at 50% drug efficacy and 2-year follow-up). By contrast, cognitive, olfactory and autonomic variables showed modest progression with higher variability, resulting in high sample sizes. The most efficient design was a time-to-event analysis using combined milestones of motor and cognitive decline, estimating 117 per group at 50% drug efficacy and 2-year trial duration. Finally, while phenoconverters showed overall greater progression than non-converters in motor, olfactory, cognitive and certain autonomic markers, the only robust difference in progression between Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies phenoconverters was in cognitive testing. This large multicentre study demonstrates the evolution of motor and non-motor manifestations in prodromal synucleinopathy. These findings provide optimized clinical end points and sample size estimates to inform future neuroprotective trials.

Beneficial Effects of an Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Sleep Quality in Italian Poor Sleepers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Trial.

Sleep of inadequate quantity and quality is increasing in the present 24 h society, with a negative impact on physical and mental health. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) generate a state of calm behavior that can reduce hyperactivity and improve sleep. We hypothesized that our specific MBI, administered online, may improve sleep quality and foster emotion regulation and mindfulness. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Sleep Condition Indicator (SCI), Arousal Predisposition Scale (APS), Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test (FIRST), Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were used to measure sleep quality and stability. Emotion regulation and mindfulness were measured via the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Our MBI included 12 biweekly integral meditation (IM) classes, recorded IM training for individual practice, and dietary advice to promote sleep regulation. Fifty-six voluntary poor sleepers with a PSQI score of >5 were randomly allocated to treated (n = 28) and control (n = 28) groups. Linear mixed models were used to estimate the effectiveness of the intervention. Statistically significant results were observed in the FFMQ sub-domain non-reactivity to inner experience (ß = 0.29 [0.06; -0.52], p = 0.01), PSQI (ß = -1.93 [-3.43; -0.43], p = 0.01), SCI (ß = 3.39 [0.66; 6.13], p = 0.02) and ISI (ß = -3.50 [-5.86; -1.14], p = 0.004). These results confirm our hypothesis regarding the beneficial effects of our intervention on sleep quality.

Psychobiological personality traits of children and adolescents with disorders of arousal.

INTRODUCTION: Disorders of arousal (DOA) are parasomnias that emerge from incomplete arousal out of Non-Rem Sleep (NREM) and lead to a broad variety of emotional and motor behaviours. Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that specific psychopathological traits contribute to the multifactorial origin of these phenomena. The aim of the current multicenter study was to compare the personality profile of children and adolescents with and without DOA using the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI). METHODS: We enrolled 36 patients with a diagnosis of DOA (mean age of 11 ± 3 years, 64% males), and 36 healthy age and gender matched control subjects (mean age of 11.2 ± 3.6, years, 67% males). Their parents completed the Paris Arousal Disorder Severity Scale (PADSS), the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) and the JTCI. RESULTS: Patients with DOA reached significantly higher levels compared to their control group in total PADSS (p < 0.0001) and in total SDSC (p < 0.0001). They also displayed higher scores in novelty seeking (p = 0.005), harm avoidance (p = 0.01), self-transcendence (p = 0.006) JTCI subscales, and lower scores on the self-directedness subscale (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Our pediatric sample with DOA exhibited specific psychobiological personality traits compared to age and gender matched subjects without DOA. These results shed light on new possible etiopathogenetic mechanisms, as TCI traits have been linked to specific genetic variants and brain circuits, like the reward system. Prospective studies are required to assess the effect of targeted psychological/psychiatric treatment on DOA symptomatology.

Cognitive and Brain Metabolism Profiles of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Prodromal Alpha-Synucleinopathy.

BACKGROUND: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a heterogeneous condition. Idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) can be associated with MCI (MCI-RBD). OBJECTIVE: To investigate neuropsychological and brain metabolism features of patients with MCI-RBD by comparison with matched MCI-AD patients. To explore their predictive value toward conversion to a full-blown neurodegenerative disease. METHODS: Seventeen MCI-RBD patients (73.6±6.5 years) were enrolled. Thirty-four patients with MCI-AD were matched for age (74.8±4.4 years), Mini-Mental State Exam score and education with a case-control criterion. All patients underwent a neuropsychological assessment and brain 18F-FDG-PET. Images were compared between groups to identify hypometabolic volumes of interest (MCI-RBD-VOI and MCI-AD-VOI). The dependency of whole-brain scaled metabolism levels in MCI-RBD-VOI and MCI-AD-VOI on neuropsychological test scores was explored with linear regression analyses in both groups, adjusting for age and education. Survival analysis was performed to investigate VOIs phenoconversion prediction power. RESULTS: MCI-RBD group scored lower in executive functions and higher in verbal memory compared to MCI-AD group. Also, compared with MCI-AD, MCI-RBD group showed relative hypometabolism in a posterior brain area including cuneus, precuneus, and occipital regions while the inverse comparison revealed relative hypometabolism in the hippocampus/parahippocampal areas in MCI-AD group. MCI-RBD-VOI metabolism directly correlated with executive functions in MCI-RBD (p = 0.04). MCI-AD-VOI metabolism directly correlated with verbal memory in MCI-AD (p = 0.001). MCI-RBD-VOI metabolism predicted (p = 0.03) phenoconversion to an alpha-synucleinopathy. MCI-AD-VOI metabolism showed a trend (p = 0.07) in predicting phenoconversion to dementia. CONCLUSION: MCI-RBD and MCI-AD showed distinct neuropsychological and brain metabolism profiles, that may be helpful for both diagnosis and prognosis purposes.

Drugs Used in Parasomnia.

Parasomnias, especially disorders of arousal during childhood, are often relatively benign and transitory and do not usually require a pharmacologic therapy. A relevant aspect in both nonrapid eye movement and rapid eye movement parasomnia treatment is to prevent sleep-related injuries by maintaining a safe environment. Physicians should always evaluate the possible presence of favoring and precipitating factors (sleep disorders and drugs). A pharmacologic treatment may be indicated in case of frequent, troublesome, or particularly dangerous events. The aim of this article is to review current available evidence on pharmacologic treatment of different forms of parasomnia.

Predictive risk factors of phenoconversion in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder: the Italian study "FARPRESTO".

Most patients with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) will develop an overt α-synucleinopathy over time, with a rate of phenoconversion of 73.5% after 12 years from diagnosis. Several markers of phenoconversion were identified; however, most studies investigated biomarkers separately, with retrospective study designs, in small cohorts or without standardized data collection methods. The risk FActoRs PREdictive of phenoconversion in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder: the Italian STudy (FARPRESTO) is a multicentric longitudinal retrospective and prospective study with a cohort of incident (prospective recruitment) and prevalent (retrospective recruitment) iRBD patients, whose primary aim is to stratify the risk of phenoconversion, through the systematic collection by means of electronic case report forms of different biomarkers. Secondary aims are to (1) describe the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients with iRBD; (2) collect longitudinal data about the development of α-synucleinopathies; (3) monitor the impact of iRBD on quality of life and sleep quality; (4) assess the correlation between phenoconversion, cognitive performance, and loss of normal muscle atony during REM sleep; (5) identify RBD phenotypes through evaluating clinical, biological, neurophysiological, neuropsychological, and imaging biomarkers; and (6) validate vPSG criteria for RBD diagnosis. The FARPRESTO study will collect a large and harmonized dataset, assessing the role of different biomarkers providing a unique opportunity for a holistic, multidimensional, and personalized approach to iRBD, with several possible application and impact at different levels, from basic to clinical research, and from prevention to management. The FARPRESTO has been registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05262543).

Evaluation of iron overload in nigrosome 1 via quantitative susceptibility mapping as a progression biomarker in prodromal stages of synucleinopathies.

Idiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is a prodromal stage of α-synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), which are characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra, associated with abnormal iron load. The assessment of presymptomatic biomarkers predicting the onset of neurodegenerative disorders is critical for monitoring early signs, screening patients for neuroprotective clinical trials and understanding the causal relationship between iron accumulation processes and disease development. Here, we used Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM) and 7T MRI to quantify iron deposition in Nigrosome 1 (N1) in early PD (ePD) patients, iRBD patients and healthy controls and investigated group differences and correlation with disease progression. We evaluated the radiological appearance of N1 and analyzed its iron content in 35 ePD, 30 iRBD patients and 14 healthy controls via T2*-weighted sequences and susceptibility (χ) maps. N1 regions of interest (ROIs) were manually drawn on control subjects and warped onto a study-specific template to obtain probabilistic N1 ROIs. For each subject the N1 with the highest mean χ was considered for statistical analysis. The appearance of N1 was rated pathological in 45% of iRBD patients. ePD patients showed increased N1 χ compared to iRBD patients and HC but no correlation with disease duration, indicating that iron load remains stable during the early stages of disease progression. Although no difference was reported in iron content between iRBD and HC, N1 χ in the iRBD group increases as the disease evolves. QSM can reveal temporal changes in N1 iron content and its quantification may represent a valuable presymptomatic biomarker to assess neurodegeneration in the prodromal stages of PD.

Clinical characteristics of a large cohort of patients with narcolepsy candidate for pitolisant: a cross-sectional study from the Italian PASS Wakix® Cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Narcolepsy is a chronic and rare hypersomnia of central origin characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and a complex array of symptoms as well as by several medical comorbidities. With growing pharmacological options, polytherapy may increase the possibility of a patient-centered management of narcolepsy symptoms. The aims of our study are to describe a large cohort of Italian patients with narcolepsy who were candidates for pitolisant treatment and to compare patients' subgroups based on current drug prescription (drug-naïve patients in whom pitolisant was the first-choice treatment, switching to pitolisant from other monotherapy treatments, and adding on in polytherapy). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey based on Italian data from the inclusion visits of the Post Authorization Safety Study of pitolisant, a 5-year observational, multicenter, international study. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-one patients were enrolled (76.4% with narcolepsy type 1 and 23.6% with narcolepsy type 2). Most patients (63.4%) presented at least one comorbidity, mainly cardiovascular and psychiatric. Pitolisant was prescribed as an add-on treatment in 120/191 patients (62.8%), as switch from other therapies in 42/191 (22.0%), and as a first-line treatment in 29/191 (15.2%). Drug-naive patients presented more severe sleepiness, lower functional status, and a higher incidence of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Our study presents the picture of a large cohort of Italian patients with narcolepsy who were prescribed with pitolisant, suggesting that polytherapy is highly frequent to tailor a patient-centered approach.

Kleine-Levin syndrome: report of a case with marked dysautonomic features.

Kleine-Levin syndrome is a rare neurologic disorder of unknown etiopathogenesis, characterized by abrupt onset and remission of attacks of hypersomnia and cognitive dysfunctions. Psychiatric symptoms are frequently present, ranging from disinhibited sexual behavior and eating disorders to hallucinations, anxiety, mood alterations, and derealization. A vast range of attack-related dysautonomic signs and symptoms are reported but remain poorly described. We describe a patient with Kleine-Levin syndrome with sleep attacks dominated by marked dysautonomic features. We briefly review similar clinical cases and suggest that the hypothalamus may play a central role in the genesis of autonomic dysfunction in Kleine-Levin syndrome. CITATION: Fiamingo G, Esposto R, Dal Fabbro B, Terzaghi M. Kleine-Levin syndrome: report of a case with marked dysautonomic features. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(9):2313-2316.

Aggressiveness in the dreams of drug-naïve and clonazepam-treated patients with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder.

BACKGROUND: Although aggressive dream content is considered a distinctive feature of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) and patients often report violent dreams during medical interviews, nonviolent behaviors (eating, drinking, urinating) and pleasant actions (e.g laughing, singing, dancing) or simply elemental, jerky limb movements are frequently observed during video-polysomnography. As a first-line pharmacological treatment, clonazepam has been shown to reduce motor symptoms during REM sleep, but its effect on dream content remains unclear. Here, we aimed to prospectively assess the dream content of individuals with drug-naïve isolated RBD (iRBD) and iRBD patients treated with clonazepam. METHODS: Thirteen (12 Male, 1 Female; age 65.38 ± 10.95) iRBD patients treated with clonazepam (iRBD-T), eleven (9 M, 2 F; age 68.90 ± 6.8) drug-naïve patients (iRBD-NT) and twelve (8 M, 1 F; age 63.33 ± 12.88) healthy control subjects of comparable age kept a dream diary over a 3-week period. Dream content analysis was conducted according to the Hall and Van de Castle method (HVdC). The Threat Simulation Scale (TSS) was employed to assess the frequency of threatening contents. RESULTS: A total of 214 dream reports were collected. No significant differences were found in the frequency of threatening dream contents between the iRBD subsamples and healthy control subjects (p = 0.732). The HVdC analysis detected higher levels of Friendliness in iRBD patients compared to the control group (p = 0.036). Increased levels of Aggressiveness were only observed when differentiating dreams in which dream enactment behaviors (DEB) were present compared to dreams without DEBs, both in the iRBD-T group (p = 0.007) and the iRBD-NT group (p = 0.012). CONCLUSION: Our study shows no difference in the frequency of violent or threatening dreams in drug-naïve iRBD patients, clonazepam-treated iRBD patients and healthy control individuals. Aggressiveness is more frequent when DEBs are reported, suggesting motor disinhibition could require sufficiently dramatic and emotionally intense dreams, independent of clonazepam treatment.

Association Between Semiology and Anatomo-functional Localization in Patients With Cingulate Epilepsy: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cingulate epilepsy (CE) is a rare type of focal epilepsy that is challenging to diagnose because of the polymorphic semiology of the seizures, mimicking other types of epilepsy, and the limited utility of scalp EEG. METHODS: We selected consecutive patients with drug-resistant CE who were seizure-free after surgery, with seizure onset zone (SOZ) confirmed in the cingulate cortex (CC) by histology or stereo EEG. We analyzed subjective and objective ictal manifestations using video recordings and correlated semiology with anatomical CC subregion (anterior, anterior middle, posterior middle, and posterior) localization of SOZ. RESULTS: We analyzed 122 seizures in 57 patients. Seizures were globally characterized by complex behaviors, typically natural seeming and often accompanied by emotional components. All objective ictal variables considered (pronation of the body or arising from a lying/sitting position, tonic/dystonic posturing, hand movements, asymmetry, vocalizations, fluidity and repetitiveness of motor manifestations, awareness, and emotional and autonomic components) were differently distributed among CC subregions (p < 0.05). Along the rostro-caudal axis, fluidity and repetitiveness of movement, vocalizations, body pronation, and emotional components decreased anterior-posteriorly, whereas tonic/dystonic postures, signs of lateralization, and awareness increased. Vestibular and asymmetric somatosensory, somatosensory, and epigastric and enteroceptive/autonomic symptoms were distributed differently among CC subregions (p < 0.05). Along the rostro-caudal axis, vestibular, somatosensory, and somatosensory asymmetric symptoms increased anterior-posteriorly. DISCUSSION: CE is characterized by a spectrum of semiologic manifestations with a topographic distribution. CE semiology could indicate which cingulate sector is primarily involved.

Risk Factors for Phenoconversion in Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to follow up predictive factors for α-synuclein-related neurodegenerative diseases in a multicenter cohort of idiopathic/isolated rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD). METHODS: Patients with iRBD from 12 centers underwent a detailed assessment for potential environmental and lifestyle risk factors via a standardized questionnaire at baseline. Patients were then prospectively followed and received assessments for parkinsonism or dementia during follow-up. The cumulative incidence of parkinsonism or dementia was estimated with competing risk analysis. Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate the predictive value of environmental/lifestyle factors over a follow-up period of 11 years, adjusting for age, sex, and center. RESULTS: Of 319 patients who were free of parkinsonism or dementia, 281 provided follow-up information. After a mean follow-up of 5.8 years, 130 (46.3%) patients developed neurodegenerative disease. The overall phenoconversion rate was 24.2% after 3 years, 44.8% after 6 years, and 67.5% after 10 years. Patients with older age (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.05) and nitrate derivative use (aHR = 2.18) were more likely to phenoconvert, whereas prior pesticide exposure (aHR = 0.21-0.64), rural living (aHR = 0.53), lipid-lowering medication use (aHR = 0.59), and respiratory medication use (aHR = 0.36) were associated with lower phenoconversion risk. Risk factors for those converting to primary dementia and parkinsonism were generally similar, with dementia-first converters having lower coffee intake and beta-blocker intake, and higher occurrence of family history of dementia. INTERPRETATION: Our findings elucidate the predictive values of environmental factors and comorbid conditions in identifying RBD patients at higher risk of phenoconversion. ANN NEUROL 2022;91:404-416.