REM sleep microstructure alterations in REM sleep behavior disorder: beyond muscle tone

Abstract Study objectives Isolated rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is characterized by dream enactment behaviors and loss of atonia during REM sleep. It is considered a prodromal stage of alpha-synucleinopathies and may result from dysfunction of brainstem structures regulating muscle tone in REM sleep. Whether other REM sleep features are affected remains unclear. Here, we investigated alterations in REM sleep microstructure, including phasic REM sleep, sawtooth waves (STW), and non-REM/REM transitions, in iRBD and RBD associated with Parkinson's disease (PD + RBD). Methods We retrospectively included 20 patients with iRBD (85% male, 66.5[63-68]years), 20 patients with PD + RBD (75% male, 62.5[57.5-65]years) and 20 controls (75% male, 67[61-70]years). REM sleep without atonia (RSWA), bursts of REMs and STW bursts were manually scored. Phasic REM sleep proportion (derived from REMs), STW density/duration/frequency and the duration of NREM/REM transitions were compared between groups with a general linear mixed-effects model. Results Phasic REM sleep proportion was higher in the iRBD group (26.5[21-33]%) than in control (16.4[12.5-22.3]%, p-corrected = 0.005) and PD + RBD (17.6[13.9-21.7]%, p-corrected = 0.005) ones. Non-REM/REM transitions showed a duration gradient, increasing from controls (119.0[58.5-186.1]sec) to iRBD (212.1[68.5-391.4]sec, p-corrected = 0.0038) and PD + RBD (375.8[217.6-514.6]sec, p-corrected<0.001) patients. STW density and duration were reduced in the PD + RBD group (1.33[1.1-1.54]/min; 2.13[1.70-2.69]sec) vs controls (1.74[1.52-2.05]/min, p-corrected = 0.005; 2.98[2.18-4.11], p-corrected<0.001), whereas altered STW spectral content was observed in both patient’s groups with a power shift toward higher frequencies (both p<.001 vs controls). Conclusions These results reinforce the hypothesis that REM sleep dysregulation in RBD extends to REM-specific electrophysiological features beyond loss of muscle atonia and dream enactments.