title: Changing demographics in REM sleep behavior disorder: possible effect of autoimmunity and antidepressants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) has been described predominantly in elderly men and in association with neurodegenerative disease. But an increasing proportion of cases in recent reports and in clinical practice do not fit this description; thus we sought to describe a current RBD population and possibly identify new subgroups with RBD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of 115 consecutive patients with polysomnogram-confirmed RBD at an academic sleep center were retrospectively reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Male to female ratio was 2:1, and 1.25:1 for early-onset (age <50) cases. Mean age at diagnosis was 53.7±16.4years. Most (60%) cases were idiopathic, and neurodegenerative disease was coincident primarily in older men. Autoimmune disease was unexpectedly common in women (20%) particularly in the 30-49 age groups (40%). Antidepressant use was frequent (46.1%), especially in early-onset cases (57.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RBD is diagnosed more equally between men and women and in younger individuals than previously reported. While neurodegenerative disease is frequently co-incident with RBD in older men, most women and early-onset cases have "idiopathic" RBD. High prevalence of autoimmune disease among women with RBD suggests an intriguing link between immune dysfunction and RBD. A high rate of antidepressant use provides support for a potentially causal role for antidepressants in RBD.
authors.affiliation: Washington University Multidisciplinary Sleep Medicine Center, USA. juy@neuro.wustl.edu
authors.forename: Yo-El
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Larson-Prior
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duntley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009290:Narcolepsy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017286:Polysomnography; D015995:Prevalence; D020187:REM Sleep Behavior Disorder / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents