Skip to content

New ways to diagnose and monitor REM sleep behavior disorder

Parkinson's Disease | Sleep | REM Sleep Behavior Disorder | Sleep Apnea | Exercise | Parkinsonism | Restless Legs

REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a disorder where a person "acts out their dreams" while sleeping. RBD is often associated with developing diseases like Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies.

Normally, the only way to diagnose RBD is with an overnight sleep study in a sleep lab. This is expensive and often not easily available, leaving many people with RBD undiagnosed.

Actigraphy is a simple way of monitoring daily activity using a device similar to a watch. We want to see if actigraphy can diagnose RBD with similar accuracy to an overnight study in a sleep lab. We also will see how actigraphy is related to general markers of neurologic health measured using clinical and memory tests.

null

Participation Requirements

  • Sex:

    Any

  • Eligible Ages:

    50 and up

Participation Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:
1. Have you ever been told, or suspected yourself, that you seem to ‘act out your dreams’ while asleep (for example, punching, flailing your arms in the air, making running movements, etc.)?

2. You must be age 50 years and older
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Must not yet have a diagnosis of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD)

2. Must not be diagnosed with Parkinson's disease or dementia

Study Location

University of Alberta
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Steve Joza

[email protected]
780-248-8177
Study Sponsored By
University of Alberta
Participants Required
More Information
Study ID: Pro00148519