Saccade, Pupil, and Blink Responses in Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder
Julia E Perkins1, Annette Janzen2, Felix P Bernhard2
1Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Summary
Patients with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) show altered pupil and blink responses, similar to Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. These oculomotor abnormalities may serve as early biomarkers for PD progression.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by oculomotor deficits, including saccade, pupil, and blink abnormalities.
- REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) often precedes PD diagnosis, suggesting potential as an early indicator of neurodegeneration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate oculomotor abnormalities in isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD).
- To compare saccade, pupillary, and blink responses in RBD patients with those in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Video-based eye-tracking was employed to study saccade performance, pupil function, and blink rate.
- Participants included 22 RBD patients, 22 PD patients, and 74 healthy controls (CTRL).
Main Results:
- RBD patients exhibited normal saccadic behavior, unlike PD patients who differed significantly from controls and RBD.
- Both RBD and PD groups showed reduced blink rates and dampened pupil constriction and dilation compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Altered pupil and blink function in RBD patients mirrors that seen in PD patients, suggesting these may be prodromal biomarkers.
- Impact on pupil and blink control may occur earlier than saccadic deficits in the progression to Parkinson's disease.
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