title: Absence of alterations in serum sex hormone levels in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Service, Hospital Clinic and Institut D'Investigació Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain. airanzo@clinic.ub.es
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iranzo
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Santamaría
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vilaseca
authors.forename: Maria Jesús Martínez
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: de Osaba
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol