Category: Parkinson's Disease: Non-Motor Symptoms
Objective: To compare the frequency of impulse control disorders and compulsive behaviours (ICBs) in patients with iRBD and drug-naive PD, and to identify risk factors associated with ICBs in iRBD.
Background: ICBs in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are predominantly related to dopamine replacement therapy. However, drug-naive PD patients can also experience ICBs. It has been suggested that REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is associated with increased ICB risk in PD, but this remains controversial. Although patients with idiopathic RBD (iRBD) commonly experience neuropsychiatric problems, ICBs have not previously been characterised in this prodromal population.
Method: Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data of 38 iRBD patients and 231 age- and sex-matched PD patients, from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) cohort. At baseline, participants were evaluated with a wide range of motor and non-motor symptom scales, including the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson’s Disease (QUIP).
Results: The presence of ≥1 ICB was significantly higher in patients with iRBD (31.6%), compared to patients with PD (18.2%, p=0.050). Hobbyism (13.2%), hypersexuality (7.9%), compulsive eating (7.9%), and punding (7.9%), were the most frequent ICBs in iRBD. Compulsive eating (7.4%) and hobbyism (7.4%) were the most frequent ICBs in PD. There were no demographic, motor or non-motor scale differences between ICB positive and ICB negative iRBD patients.
Conclusion: This is the first study to demonstrate that patients with iRBD experience ICBs more frequently than patients with drug-naive PD. ICBs should be recognised as common and distinct neuropsychiatric features in iRBD. RBD may additionally represent an important determinant of ICBs in PD. Further studies are required to elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying ICBs in RBD and to identify associated risk factors.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
A. Otaiku. Impulse control disorders in idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder and drug-naive Parkinson’s disease [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2021; 36 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/impulse-control-disorders-in-idiopathic-rem-sleep-behaviour-disorder-and-drug-naive-parkinsons-disease/. Accessed July 11, 2025.« Back to MDS Virtual Congress 2021
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/impulse-control-disorders-in-idiopathic-rem-sleep-behaviour-disorder-and-drug-naive-parkinsons-disease/