Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Dynamic Digital Biomarkers of Motor and Cognitive Function in Parkinson's Disease
Published on: July 24, 2019
Assessing whole brain perfusion changes in patients with REM sleep behavior disorder
1Centre d'Etude du Sommeil et des Rythmes Biologiques, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, 5400 Boul. Gouin Ouest, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H4J 1C5.
Objective:
To investigate the regional cerebral perfusion in patients with idiopathic REM behavior disorder (RBD) in order to establish the topography of networks involved.
Methods:
We performed cerebral blood flow evaluation using (99m)Tc-Ethylene Cysteinate Dimer (ECD) SPECT on eight patients with polysomnographically confirmed RBD and nine age-matched controls. Comparisons were made using SPM2.
Results:
We found increased perfusion in the pons and putamen bilaterally and in the right hippocampus. In addition, we observed a decreased perfusion in frontal (Brodmann area [BA] 4, 6, 10, 43, 44, 47 bilaterally and left BA 9, 46) and temporo-parietal (BA 13, 22, 43 bilaterally and left BA 7, 19, 20, 21, 39, 40, 41, 42) cortices.
Conclusion:
Perfusional abnormalities in patients with REM behavior disorder were located in the brainstem, striatum, and cortex. These abnormalities are consistent with the anatomic metabolic profile of Parkinson disease.
