Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 14, 2026

Dynamic Digital Biomarkers of Motor and Cognitive Function in Parkinson's Disease
Published on: July 24, 2019
Assessing Veterans With Gulf War Illness for Prodromal Parkinson's Disease Risk With the REM Behavioral Sleep
Linda L Chao1, Tamara Stiep, José Rafael P Zuzuárregui
1From the Departments of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging and Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (L.L.C.); San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco, California (L.L.C., T.S., J.R.P.Z.); and Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (T.S., J.R.P.Z.).
Objective:
To assess deployed Gulf War (GW) veterans for prodromal Parkinson's Disease (PD) using the REM Sleep Behavioral Disorder (RBD) Screening Questionnaire (RBDSQ).
Methods:
GW veterans ( n = 165) were assessed for nonmotor PD symptoms with the RBDSQ, Non-Motor Symptoms Scale, and Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease-Autonomic. Some veterans were also assessed with the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test ( n = 120), neurological examinations ( n = 41), and 3T magnetic resonance imaging ( n = 16).
Results:
Eighty percent of veterans with PD and 73% of veterans without PD had probable RBD (ie, RBDSQ ≥5). Exploratory analysis conducted for hypothesis-generating purposes revealed that RBDSQ scores were positively associated with GW deployment-related exposures and inversely associated with brainstem volume.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that veterans with GWI and high levels of deployment-related exposures are at risk for prodromal PD, possibly through RBD as a mediator.
More Related Videos
04:33Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Connection Between Sleep Disorders and Cognitive Symptoms in Depression
Published on: April 26, 2024
07:26Characterizing the Relationship Between Eye Movement Parameters and Cognitive Functions in Non-demented Parkinson's Disease Patients with Eye Tracking
Published on: September 26, 2019
Related Concept Videos
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
RBD is significantly associated with...
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Parkinson's Disease: Overview