[Syndrome of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder and nocturia in Parkinson's disease].

AIM: Parasomnia, a syndrome of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), is a common non-motor impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The relationship between RBD with other symptoms of PD affecting night sleep, in particular, nocturia, is understudied. An aim of the study was to determine the symptoms related to night sleep disturbances in PD patients with RBD and assess the dynamics of these disturbances with the disease progression taking into account RBD onset.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred and forty patients (72 male and 68 female) with PD without dementia (mean age 61.98±0.79 years, PD stage - 2.35±0.05, duration 5.82±90.65 years) were examined. Motor disorders were assessed with the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS), sleep disturbances and frequent night urinations were evaluated with the Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS). The diagnosis of probable RBD was based on reports of patients or their relatives on the dream-related motor activity and vocalization. Quality-of-life was evaluated with the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39). Patients were followed up after 2.5 years.

RESULTS: Probable RBD was diagnosed in 46.43% of patients, including 30.77%, who developed the syndrome before the manifestation of motor symptoms, 16.92% patients with simultaneous development of RBD and motor symptoms and 52.31% with RBD development >2 years after motor disorders. Patients with RBD differed from those without parasomnia by the higher severity of nocturia. After 2.5 years of follow-up, the severity of disease was greater in patients with RBD assessed by UPDRS, quality-of-life indices, severity of nocturia and episodes of nocturia. The highest frequency of episodes of nocturia was noted in patients with early onset of RBD before the manifestation of motor symptoms.

CONCLUSION: RBD in patients with PD is associated with the rapid progress of nocturia, higher degree of worsening of daily activities and deterioration of quality of life. The relationship between RBD and progression of nighttime urination suggests common pathophysiological mechanisms of their development, which include the structural changes in the brain stem nuclei. The diagnosis of RBD is one of the markers of spreading of neurodegenerative pathology into the brain stem that resulted in the unfavorable disease course.