Rem sleep behavior disorder: potential relationship to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia in which there is enactment, often violent, of dream mentation. Although this syndrome is sometimes associated with neurologic disorders, psychiatric comorbidity is not typical. The authors present a unique series of veterans with RBD. A high incidence of comorbidity with post-traumatic stress disorder is noted. The literature on RBD is reviewed, and the coexistence of RBD and post-traumatic stress disorder is reasoned. The authors suggest that it is possible that similar neuropathologic processes are responsible for both conditions, at times in the same patient.
Husain
A M
AM
Department of Medicine (Neurology), Duke University, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
Miller
P P
PP
Carwile
S T
ST
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004325:Dreams; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D017286:Polysomnography; D020187:REM Sleep Behavior Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012895:Sleep, REM; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D014728:Veterans