Progressive dementia and hypersomnolence with dream-enacting behavior: oneiric dementia.
BACKGROUND
Sleep disorders are associated with several types of degenerative dementias, including Alzheimer and prion diseases. Animal models have demonstrated abolition of rapid eye movement atonia, resulting in dream-enacting complex movements termed oneiric behavior, and patients with fatal familial insomnia may have vivid dreams that intrude on wakefulness.


OBJECTIVE
To describe a new form of progressive dementia with hypersomnia and oneiric behavior.


METHODS
Neuropsychological and polysomnographic studies of a middle-aged woman with a progressive dementia, excessive daytime sleepiness, and a vertical gaze palsy.


RESULTS
Neuropsychological testing revealed decreased verbal fluency, impaired attention and working memory, amnesia, poor recall, and bradyphrenia with hypersomnia. Polysomnography revealed a rapid eye movement behavioral disorder with complete absence of slow wave sleep. Prion protein analysis did not reveal the mutation associated with fatal familial insomnia, and other diagnostic test findings were unrevealing.


CONCLUSIONS
Our patient had a previously unreported syndrome of progressive dementia associated with rapid eye movement behavioral disorder and the absence of slow wave sleep.
Cibula
Jean E
JE
Department of Neurology, McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida College of Medicine, 100 S Newell Dr, Room L3-100, Gainesville, FL 32610-0236, USA.
Eisenschenk
Stephan
S
Gold
Michael
M
Eskin
Thomas A
TA
Gilmore
Robin L
RL
Heilman
Kenneth M
KM
D003704:Dementia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000150:complications*; D004325:Dreams; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography