REM sleep behaviour disorder: a treatable cause of falls in elderly people

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder can lead to nighttime falls in geriatric patients and so physicians should consider sleep history when diagnosing patients. A case study of an elderly woman who suffered from falls during sleep found the treatable REM disorder could be misdiagnosed as...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Age and ageing 1997-01, Vol.26 (1), p.43-44
Main Authors: Morfis, L, Schwartz, R S, Cistulli, P A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidental falls
Accidental Falls - prevention & control
Aged
Care and treatment
Clonazepam - administration & dosage
Diagnosis, Differential
Elderly people
Factors
Falls
Falls (Accidents)
Female
Geriatric Assessment
Humans
Polysomnography
Rapid eye movement sleep
Risk Factors
Sleep Apnea Syndromes - diagnosis
Sleep Apnea Syndromes - therapy
Sleep disorders
Sleep Wake Disorders - complications
Sleep Wake Disorders - therapy
Sleep, REM
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Description
Summary:Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder can lead to nighttime falls in geriatric patients and so physicians should consider sleep history when diagnosing patients. A case study of an elderly woman who suffered from falls during sleep found the treatable REM disorder could be misdiagnosed as a more serious problem such as epilepsy or syncope. REM sleep disorder is characterized by dream-enacting behaviors.
ISSN:0002-0729
1468-2834
DOI:10.1093/ageing/26.1.43