Rapid Eye Movement Behavior Disorder

It is a loss of muscle atonia (paralysis) during otherwise intact REM sleep. REM sleep is the stage of sleep in which most vivid dreaming occurs. This loss of motor inhibition leads to a wide range of behavioral releases during sleep from simple limb twitches to more complex integrated movements where the sufferers appear to be unconsciously acting out their dreams. These behaviors can be violent and may result in injury to either the patient or their bed partner.

Various other conditions that are similar to RBD include sleepwalking and sleep terrors, which are associated with other stages of sleep, nocturnal seizures, and obstructive sleep apnea which can induce arousals from REM sleep to differentiate these various conditions, a polysomnography is necessary to confirm an RBD diagnosis.