Polysomnographic features prior to dream enactment behaviors in isolated rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder

• Published in: Clinical neurophysiology 2024-10, Vol.166, p.74-86
• Main Authors: Date, Shumpei, Sumi, Yukiyoshi, Fujiwara, Koichi, Imai, Makoto, Ogawa, Keiko, Kadotani, Hiroshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dream enactment behavior; Dreams - physiology; Electroencephalography; Electroencephalography - methods; Electromyography - methods; Female; Functional connectivity; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Phase-locking value; Polysomnography - methods; REM sleep behavior disorder; REM Sleep Behavior Disorder - diagnosis; REM Sleep Behavior Disorder - physiopathology; Sleep, REM - physiology
• ISSN: 1388-2457; 1872-8952; 1872-8952
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.07.013

•Investigated the characteristics of EEG activity before dream enactment behaviors during REM sleep in patients with iRBD.•Before the behaviors, delta/gamma power increases and wide-range beta-band connectivity increases were observed.•These findings suggest distinct cortical activity patterns during dream enactment in iRBD. This study aimed to identify electroencephalogram correlates of dream enactment behaviors (DEBs) and elucidate their cortical dynamics in patients with isolated/idiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD). This cross-sectional study included 15 patients with iRBD. Two REM sleep periods in routine polysomnography were compared: the 60 s preceding the DEBs (“pre-representative behavior” [preR]), and the 60 s with the least submental electromyogram activity (“background” [BG]). Six EEG frequency bands and electrooculogram were analyzed; power spectra, coherence and phase-locking values in four 15-s periods were examined to assess trends. These indices were also compared between preR and BG. Compared with BG, significantly higher delta power in the F3 channel and gamma power in the F4 and O2 channels were observed during preR. For functional connectivity, the widespread beta-band connectivity was significantly increased during preR than BG. Before notable REM sleep behaviors, uneven distributed higher EEG spectral power in both very low and high frequencies, and increased wide-range beta band functional connectivity, were observed over 60 s, suggesting cortical correlates to subsequent DEBs. This study may shed light on the pathological mechanisms underlies RBD through the routine vPSG analysis, leading to detection of DEBs.