RBD Safety Suggestions

Because one of the main symptoms of RBD is violent movement during sleep, one of the most important things is to take proper safety precautions. This article discusses RBD and presents some good suggestions for doing just that.

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: Acting Out Your Dreams

All sleep disorders are inconvenient and often debilitating because we need sleep to function properly. REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, however, is one of the most difficult sleep disorders to live with.

http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/163710/rem_sleep_behavior_disorder_acting.html

How Bad Did it Get?

I'm often asked what kinds of things my Dad has done during an RBD episode. Here's a sampling...

• He's jumped through a first floor window.

• He's suffered numerous cuts and gashes on his head from hurling himself out of bed.

• He's pounded, punched and beaten the floor and the walls to the extent that he severely busted up his knuckles and bruised his hands.

• He's yelled and screamed so loudly that he's woken the neighbors.

• He's gone head-first through a screen.

• He's woken up so disoriented and panicked that he thought he was losing his mind.

• He's thrown furniture (couches, chairs, lamps, tables, etc.) and hurled a TV across the room that was so heavy he could barely move it when he was awake.

• And most devastating of all to him, is that he's come very close to harming my Mom (unknowingly and unintentionally of course), when they were sharing a bed.

Dad Brings Light to UCLA!

Today my Dad spoke to a group of UCLA medical residents at the invitation of wonderful Dr. Avidan. The hope (I think) was obviously to educate them, but also to put a name and face to a disorder most students just read about. My Mom and I accompanied my Dad and I can't express how proud I felt of him as he told his story with such honesty and openness. Who would have thought all those years ago when my Dad was convinced he was going insane that he would be sharing his experience and enlighteneing the minds (and hopefully hearts) of future M.D.s?

Dr. Avidan also presented a very informative PowerPoint presentation on RBD. He then asked my Mom and I to speak about what it's been like to live with and love someone who suffers from the disorder. I felt so emotional during the whole thing that I'm afraid I could barely find the words. I just tried to convey how heartbreaking it was to see my Dad's health decline, to have such few answers and to be met with such disregard from so many medical professionals we saw. That is, until we found Dr. Avidan.

As we left, I told my Dad, "Thanks to you there are now 20 future doctors who will go out into the world and have a better understanding of what RBD is". Quite a beautiful thing if you ask me.

An Obvious Need for Education

My Dad was hospitalized for an appendectomy this week. One of my main concerns was that the surgeon and anesthesiologist be aware of his RBD. So when they came in to speak with us prior to the surgery my Mom and I told them about it and sure enough, we were met with blank stares. Neither of them had ever heard of RBD. And to be quite honest, neither of them seemed to be particularly interested either. Oh wait, one of them did make note of it by writing it on his palm (!!!!!).

Frankly, I shouldn't have been all that surprised. Several years ago we took my Dad to see one of the supposed top neurologists in the state and he said he had never heard of such a thing. I actually had to email him information on RBD after our appointment.

So I ask... WHEN WILL THE MEDICAL SCHOOLS GIVE MORE EDUCATION ON THIS CONDITION?

RBD Goes Off-Broadway

This could be one of the coolest things ever! Comedian Mike Barbiglia (who was diagnosed with RBD) is sharing his journey through his struggles with sleep disorders in an off-broadway show called Sleepwalking With Me! Also check out the editorial at Advance for Sleep for his complete story.

RBD & Glycine

I came across this article today which was published in the 3/26/08 edition of the Journal of Neuroscience. If nothing else, I just love that RBD research is alive and kicking (no pun intended)! Click on the title to go directly to the article.

Glycine Could Be Key To REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
Article Date: 28 Mar 2008 - 1:00 PDT

There is new promise on the horizon for those who suffer from REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder (RBD) according to researchers at the University of Toronto.

RDB, a neurological disorder that causes violent twitches and muscle contractions during rapid eye-movement (REM) sleep, can lead to serious injuries. John Peever, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, discovered that an inhibitory brain chemical called glycine is responsible for actively suppressing muscle twitches in REM sleep. Deficiency in glycine levels in the brain cells that control muscles (motoneurons) was found to cause the violent muscle contractions that mimic the primary symptom of RBD.

"This study shows the mechanism that suppresses muscles twitches in REM sleep and this will lead to better treatments and potential cures for this disorder," says Peever. "Treating REM sleep disorder may have much broader implications, since within five to eight years of being diagnosed with this disorder, 60-80% of individuals eventually develop Parkinson's disease."
----------------------------
Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
The study findings are published in the March 26th edition of the Journal of Neuroscience.
For more information, please contact:
John Peever
Assistant Professor
Department of Physiology & Cell & Systems Biology

RBD & Antidepressants

Interesting articles about research from the Mayo Clinic investing a link between RBD and antidepressant use:

Antidepressants Linked With Acting Out Violent Dreams During Sleep

REM Behavior Disorder At Young Age Linked to Antidepressant Use