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REM-sleep motor disorder in children
1Sleep Medicine Center, Children's Memorial Hospital, and the Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60614, USA.
Insights
REM-sleep behavior disorder, a parasomnia typically seen in older males, has been identified in five children. This condition involves loss of muscle paralysis during REM sleep, leading to injurious complex motor behaviors associated with dreams.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
- Pediatrics
Background:
- REM-sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia characterized by loss of muscle atonia during REM sleep.
- Typically observed in older males, RBD involves complex motor behaviors, often injurious, linked to dream enactment.
- The disorder's presentation in children is not well-documented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize pediatric cases of REM-sleep behavior disorder.
- To describe the clinical and polysomnographic features of children with RBD.
- To compare polysomnographic findings in affected children with matched controls.
Main Methods:
- Case identification of five children meeting RBD criteria.
- Clinical assessment of each patient.
- Polysomnographic recordings analyzed for specific sleep and motor parameters.
- Comparison with polysomnographic data from age- and sex-matched control subjects.
Main Results:
- Five children diagnosed with REM-sleep behavior disorder were identified.
- Clinical and polysomnographic data revealed distinct characteristics in these pediatric patients.
- Polysomnographic findings in the children with RBD differed from those in the control group.
Conclusions:
- REM-sleep behavior disorder can occur in children, presenting unique clinical and polysomnographic features.
- Further research is needed to understand the pathophysiology and long-term outcomes of pediatric RBD.
- Early identification and management strategies may be crucial for affected children.
Abstract:
In 1986, Schenck and coworkers described REM-sleep behavior disorder as a treatable parasomnia affecting older males. This disorder is characterized by intermittent loss of the muscle atonia, which normally characterizes the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep state. Complex motor behaviors occur that are often injurious and are associated with dreaming. We have identified five children who meet the criteria for REM-sleep behavior disorder and describe the clinical and polysomnographic characteristics of these patients, along with corresponding polysomnographic characteristics of matched comparison subjects.