• Takayoshi Shimohata, Yuichi Inoue, and Koichi Hirata.
• Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University.
• Rinsho Shinkeigaku. 2017 Feb 25; 57 (2): 63-70.

AbstractRapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia characterized by dream enactment behavior during REM sleep. It has been demonstrated that patients with idiopathic RBD are at a significantly increased risk of developing one of the α-synucleinopathies later in life, and this is called "phenoconversion". Although some physicians argue against disclosing information that could cause patients psychological stress, the patients also have a "right to know" about their own disease. Therefore, determining when and how to disclose this information, in addition to appropriate follow-up, is important. Clonazepam is the first choice of treatment for RBD associated with α-synucleinopathies. Since RBD is one of the premotor symptoms of α-synucleinopathies, and enables its early diagnosis, a combination of RBD and other examinations may contribute to the realization of a disease-modifying therapy. It is hoped that the early establishment of biomarkers could help predict the phenoconversion from RBD to α-synucleinopathies.

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