Absence of alterations in serum sex hormone levels in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder.
OBJECTIVE
More than 85% of the patients presenting to sleep centers with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) are men. It has been hypothesized that sex hormone abnormalities may be related to this male predominance. The aim of our study was to determine the serum sex hormone levels in consecutive idiopathic RBD male patients who presented to our sleep center.


METHODS
University hospital sleep disorders center.


METHODS
Fourteen male idiopathic RBD patients and 16 healthy matched controls.


METHODS
NA.


RESULTS
Serum levels of total testosterone, calculated free testosterone, calculated bioavailable testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, estradiol-17 beta, sex-hormone binding globulin, and prolactin were not different between idiopathic RBD patients and controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum sex hormone levels are normal in idiopathic RBD, indicating that androgenic abnormalities may not account for its male predominance and pathophysiology.
Iranzo
Alex
A
Neurology Service, Hospital Clinic and Institut D'Investigació Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain. airanzo@clinic.ub.es
Santamaría
Joan
J
Vilaseca
Isabel
I
de Osaba
Maria Jesús Martínez
MJ
D000368:Aged; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography; D020187:REM Sleep Behavior Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol