Motor dyscontrol in narcolepsy: rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep without atonia and REM sleep behavior disorder. 1992

C H Schenck, and M W Mahowald
Department of Psychiatry, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55415.

Narcolepsy involves abnormalities of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, including a short latency to the onset of REM sleep, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. In addition, persistence of muscle tone by electromyographic criteria or excessive muscle twitching during REM sleep or both have been reported in treated and untreated narcoleptic patients. We report that another previously described abnormality of REM sleep, REM sleep behavior disorder, may also be a symptom of narcolepsy. This disorder was found in 10 narcoleptic patients during routine clinical evaluations involving polysomnography and multiple sleep latency tests. During REM sleep, 7 additional narcoleptic patients displayed persistent muscle tone and/or excessive twitching, which we believe to be subclinical components of REM sleep behavior disorder. These 17 patients, diagnosed by established criteria for narcolepsy and for REM sleep behavior disorder, ranged in age from 8 to 74 years. Seventy-one percent were male. Narcolepsy and REM sleep behavior disorder most commonly emerged in tandem. In 3 patients, treatment of narcolepsy-cataplexy with stimulants and tricyclics either induced or exacerbated REM sleep behavior disorder.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009068 Movement The act, process, or result of passing from one place or position to another. It differs from LOCOMOTION in that locomotion is restricted to the passing of the whole body from one place to another, while movement encompasses both locomotion but also a change of the position of the whole body or any of its parts. Movement may be used with reference to humans, vertebrate and invertebrate animals, and microorganisms. Differentiate also from MOTOR ACTIVITY, movement associated with behavior. Movements
D009290 Narcolepsy A condition characterized by recurrent episodes of daytime somnolence and lapses in consciousness (microsomnias) that may be associated with automatic behaviors and AMNESIA. CATAPLEXY; SLEEP PARALYSIS, and hypnagogic HALLUCINATIONS frequently accompany narcolepsy. The pathophysiology of this disorder includes sleep-onset rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which normally follows stage III or IV sleep. (From Neurology 1998 Feb;50(2 Suppl 1):S2-S7) Gelineau Syndrome,Narcolepsy-Cataplexy Syndrome,Paroxysmal Sleep,Gelineau's Syndrome,Narcoleptic Syndrome,Gelineau's Syndromes,Gelineaus Syndrome,Narcolepsy Cataplexy Syndrome,Narcolepsy-Cataplexy Syndromes,Narcoleptic Syndromes,Sleep, Paroxysmal,Syndrome, Gelineau,Syndrome, Gelineau's,Syndrome, Narcolepsy-Cataplexy,Syndrome, Narcoleptic,Syndromes, Gelineau's,Syndromes, Narcolepsy-Cataplexy,Syndromes, Narcoleptic
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D004569 Electroencephalography Recording of electric currents developed in the brain by means of electrodes applied to the scalp, to the surface of the brain, or placed within the substance of the brain. EEG,Electroencephalogram,Electroencephalograms
D004576 Electromyography Recording of the changes in electric potential of muscle by means of surface or needle electrodes. Electromyogram,Surface Electromyography,Electromyograms,Electromyographies,Electromyographies, Surface,Electromyography, Surface,Surface Electromyographies
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths

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