Which statement about REM sleep behavior disorder is true?

Which statement about REM sleep behavior disorder is true?

• A. It involves dream-enactment due to loss of REM atonia and is often linked to neurodegenerative synucleinopathies
• B. It is a form of non-REM sleep disorder with no dream enactment
• C. It is best treated with antidepressants
• D. It occurs only in psychiatric populations

Answer: (A)

REM sleep behavior disorder happens when the normal muscle paralysis that occurs during REM sleep fails, so people act out their dreams. This dream-enactment arises because REM atonia is lost, allowing movements and sometimes complex actions during sleep. It’s particularly common in older adults and is strongly linked to underlying neurodegenerative synucleinopathies such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy; in many cases, RBD can precede other neurological symptoms by years. So the true statement is the one that describes dream-enactment due to loss of REM atonia and its association with synucleinopathies. It’s not a non-REM disorder, antidepressants aren’t the primary treatment, and it isn’t limited to psychiatric populations.

REM sleep behavior disorder happens when the normal muscle paralysis that occurs during REM sleep fails, so people act out their dreams. This dream-enactment arises because REM atonia is lost, allowing movements and sometimes complex actions during sleep. It’s particularly common in older adults and is strongly linked to underlying neurodegenerative synucleinopathies such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy; in many cases, RBD can precede other neurological symptoms by years. So the true statement is the one that describes dream-enactment due to loss of REM atonia and its association with synucleinopathies. It’s not a non-REM disorder, antidepressants aren’t the primary treatment, and it isn’t limited to psychiatric populations.